I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3083 
To support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using 
a network of public and private community entities to provide mentoring 
for children and youth with experience in foster care. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 11, 2021 
Ms. BASS (for herself, Mr. BACON, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mrs. LAWRENCE, and Mr. 
MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To support the establishment or expansion and operation 
of programs using a network of public and private com-
munity entities to provide mentoring for children and 
youth with experience in foster care. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Foster Youth Men-
toring Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Positive relationships are important for chil-
dren and youth. An estimated 20 percent of youth 
do not have caring adults in their lives—rep-
resenting 8,500,000 youth. Children who have a 
positive caring relationship with an adult can also 
benefit from additional positive relationships. 
(2) Research shows that mentors make a dif-
ference in young people’s lives. At-risk youth who 
have mentors are 55 percent more likely to enroll in 
college. Students who meet regularly with their men-
tors are 52 percent less likely than their peers to 
skip a day of school. Youth who have mentors are 
also 130 percent more likely to hold a leadership po-
sition. 
(3) Young people that have mentors have im-
proved relationships with adults, fewer disciplinary 
referrals, and more confidence to achieve their goals. 
(4) In 2017, 442,995 youth were in foster care. 
Of those youth 70,858 were between the ages of 10 
and 13, and 101,983 were between the ages of 14 
and 20. 
(5) Mentoring programs that serve foster youth 
are unique and require additional considerations, in-
cluding specialized training and support necessary to 
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provide for consistent, long-term relationships for 
children in foster care. 
(6) Mentoring programs can be used as an ef-
fective preventative or intervention strategy to sup-
port positive outcomes for foster youth. 
(7) Mentoring programs targeting at-risk 
youth, community-based programs, and programs 
lasting 1 year or more are more frequently found to 
be effective. 
(8) Increasing evidence is showing that peer 
mentoring and support can be very effective in en-
gaging young people. Alumni of and youth in foster 
care have noted the importance of the support and 
service delivery by individuals with lived experience, 
including peers. 
SEC. 3. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN FOSTER 
CARE. 
Subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 629 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 439A. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN 
FOSTER CARE AND YOUTH WITH EXPERI-
ENCE IN FOSTER CARE. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 
authorize the Secretary to make grants to eligible appli-
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