H.R. 4769

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4769 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4769

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

July 25, 2025

Ms. Scanlon (for herself, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Casten, Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Ms. 
Sewell, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Williams of Georgia, and Mr. Larson of 
Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Positive relationships are important for children and 
youth. An estimated 20 percent of youth do not have caring 
adults in their lives, representing 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 difference 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 mentors are 52 percent less likely than their peers 
to skip a day of school. Youth who have mentors are also 75 
percent more likely to hold a leadership position in a club or 
sports team.
(3) Young people that have mentors have improved 
relationships with adults, fewer disciplinary referrals, and 
more confidence in achieving their goals.
(4) In 2021, 391,311 youth were in foster care. Of those 
youth, 86,793 were between the ages of 11 and 15, and 55,396 
were between the ages of 16 and 20.
(5) Mentoring programs that serve foster youth are unique 
and require additional considerations, including specialized 
training and support necessary to provide for consistent, long-
term relationships for children in foster care.
(6) Mentoring programs can be used as an effective strategy 
to support positive outcomes for foster youth, such as improved 
mental health, reductions in substance misuse, and increased 
life satisfaction. Additionally, mentoring relationships are 
associated with supporting fewer placement changes for youth 
and improved use of transition services when exiting foster 
care.
(7) Mentoring programs targeting youth experiencing 
multiple risk factors, community-based programs, and programs 
lasting 1 year or more are more effective in supporting youth 
in foster care.
(8) Mentored youth showed lower rates of involvement in the 
juvenile justice system and lower rates of involvement in the 
legal system as adults.
(9) Increasing evidence is showing that peer mentoring and 
support can be very effective in engaging 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 EXPERIENCE IN FOSTER CARE.

``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to authorize the 
Secretary to make grants to eligible applicants to support the 
establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of 
public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children 
in foster care and children with experience in foster care.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Children in foster care.--The term `children in 
foster care' means children who have been removed from the 
custody of their biological or adoptive parents by a State or 
tribal child welfare agency.
``(2) Children with experience in foster care.--The term 
`children with experience in foster care' means children, 
youth, and adults who have not attained 26 years of age and 
who, at any time, were removed from the custody of their 
biological or adoptive parents by a State or tribal child 
welfare agency.
``(3) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a nonprofit organization;
``(B) a State child welfare agency;
``(C) a local educational agency;
``(D) an Indian tribe or a tribal organization; or
``(E) a faith-based organization.
``(4) Mentoring.--The term `mentoring' means a structured, 
managed program--
``(A) in which children and youth are appropriately 
matched with screened and trained adult or peer 
volunteers for consistent relationships;
``(B) that can include direct one-on-one, group, or 
peer mentoring services that focus on 1 or more of--
``(i) academic support;
``(ii) enrichment;
``(iii) educational success;
``(iv) minimizing risk behaviors; or
``(v) promoting social skills and healthy 
relationships;
``(C) that involves meetings, events, and 
activities on a regular basis designed to last at least 
1 year; and
``(D) that is intended to meet, in part, the social 
and emotional development of the child or youth, the 
need of the child or youth for involvement with a 
caring and supportive adult, and the need of the child 
or youth for positive role models, connections, and 
normalcy.
``(c) Grant Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
to award grants to eligible entities to support the 
establishment or expansion and operation of programs using 
networks of public and private community entities to provide 
mentoring for children in foster care and children with 
experience in foster care.
``(2) Application requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
under paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Secretary an application containing the following:
``(A) Program design.--A description of the 
proposed program to be carried out using amounts 
provided under this grant, including--
``(i) targeted outcomes, mentee age and 
eligibility, mentor type, setting, duration, 
and meeting frequency;
``(ii) the number of mentor-child matches 
proposed to be established and maintained 
annually under the program;
``(iii) the capacity and expertise of the 
program to serve children and youth in a way 
that is responsive to children and youth of 
color, expectant and parenting youth, 
indigenous youth, youth who are lesbian, gay, 
bisexual, transgendered, or queer, and youth 
with disabilities;
``(iv) actions taken to ensure that the 
design of the program reflects input from young 
people, including children with experience in 
foster care; and
``(v) such other information as the 
Secretary may require.
``(B) Recruitment.--An assurance that the program 
will engage in recruitment strategies for mentors 
that--
``(i) realistically portray the benefits, 
practices, supports, and challenges of 
participating in the program; and
``(ii) seek to recruit mentors who reflect 
the race, ethnicity, and various identities of 
children in foster care and children with 
experience in foster care.
``(C) Training.--An assurance that all mentors 
covered under the program will receive intensive and 
ongoing training in the following areas:
``(i) Child and adolescent development, 
including the importance of bonding.
``(ii) Family dynamics, including the 
effects of domestic violence and trauma.
``(iii) Understanding the education rights 
of foster children and youth, including those 
related to post-secondary education.
``(iv) The challenges of and approaches to 
support the transition to adulthood.
``(v) Cultural competence practices and 
relationship-building strategies.
``(vi) Positive youth development and 
authentic engagement practices.
``(vii) Recognizing and reporting child 
abuse and neglect.
``(viii) Confidentiality requirements for 
working with children in foster care.
``(ix) Working in coordination with the 
child welfare system.
``(x) Other matters related to working with 
children in foster care and children with 
experience in foster care.
``(D) Screening.--An assurance that all mentors 
covered under the program are appropriately screened 
and have demonstrated a willingness to comply with all 
aspects of the mentoring program, including--
``(i) a written screening plan that 
includes all of the policies and procedures 
used to screen and select mentors, including 
eligibility requirements and preferences for 
such applicants;
``(ii) a description of the methods to be 
used to conduct criminal background checks on 
all prospective mentors, and the methods in 
place to exclude mentors with convictions for 
crimes against children and mentors with 
convictions occurring within the past 10 years 
that are directly related to child safety; and
``(iii) a description of the methods to be 
used to ensure that the mentors are willing and 
able to serve as a mentor on a long-term, 
consistent basis as defined in the application.
``(E) Community consultation and engagement; 
coordination with other programs.--A demonstration 
that, in developing and implementing the program, the 
eligible entity will--
``(i) consult with and actively engage--
``(I) children in foster care and 
children with experience in foster 
care;
``(II) public and private community 
entities, including religious 
organizations and Indian tribal 
organizations and urban Indian 
organizations; and
``(III) family members of children 
and youth who may be potential clients 
of the program;
``(ii) coordinate the mentoring program and 
the activities of the eligible entity with 
other Federal, State, and local programs 
serving children and youth; and
``(iii) consult and coordinate with 
appropriate Federal, State, and local 
corrections, workforce development, education, 
and substance abuse and mental health agencies.
``(F) Equal access for local service providers.--An 
assurance that public and private entities and 
nonprofit community organizations, including religious 
organizations and Indian organizations, will be 
eligible to participate on an equal basis.
``(G) Records, reports, and audits.--An agreement 
that the eligible entity will maintain such records, 
make such reports, and cooperate with such reviews or 
audits as the Secretary may find necessary for purposes 
of oversight of project activities and expenditures.
``(H) Evaluation.--An agreement that the eligible 
entity will cooperate fully with the ongoing and final 
evaluation of the program under the plan by the 
Secretary, by means including providing the Secretary 
access to the program, the staff of the program, 
program-related records and documents, and each public 
or private community entity receiving funding under the 
plan.
``(3) Considerations in awarding grants.--In awarding 
grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall take into 
consideration--
``(A) how, and the degree to which, children in 
foster care and children with experience in foster care 
are consulted and engaged in the development, design, 
and implementation of the program;
``(B) the feasibility and strength of a plan to 
recruit and support transition-aged foster youth;
``(C) the overall qualifications and capacity of 
the eligible entity and its partners to effectively 
carry out a mentoring program under this subsection;
``(D) the level and quality of training provided to 
mentors under the program;
``(E) evidence of coordination of the program with 
the social services and education programs of the State 
or political subdivision;
``(F) the ability of the eligible entity to provide 
supervision and support for mentors under the program 
and the youth served by such mentors;
``(G) the number of children and youth in foster 
care served by the State or political subdivision; and
``(H) any other factors that the Secretary 
determines to be significant with respect to the need 
for, or the potential success of, carrying out a 
mentoring program under this section.
``(4) Use of funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this subsection may use such funds to--
``(A) develop and carry out a training program and 
ongoing support for mentors;
``(B) recruit mentors for children and youth in 
foster care;
``(C) compensate mentors including peer mentors;
``(D) pay for costs related to mentee participation 
in the program; and
``(E) provide activities that will help the 
development of a child in foster care who is 
participating in the program.
``(5) Grant amount.--In awarding grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall scale grants to account for the 
annual budget and capacity of the eligible entity.
``(6) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report that 
includes the following with respect to the year involved:
``(A) A description of the number of programs 
receiving grant awards under this subsection.
``(B) A description of mentors who participate in 
programs described in subparagraph (A), including the 
overall number, average length of participation, and 
demographics.
``(C) A description of--
``(i) the number of children in foster care 
who participated in mentoring programs funded 
by the grant funds under this subsection;
``(ii) data on the academic achievement of 
the children in mentoring programs funded by 
the grant funds under this subsection; and
``(iii) the number of children in foster 
care on waiting lists for such mentoring 
programs, including successful transition into 
post-secondary education where applicable.
``(D) Any other information that the Secretary 
determines to be relevant to the evaluation of the 
program under this section.
``(7) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
``(A) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 and 
2027; and
``(B) such sums as may be necessary for each 
succeeding fiscal year.''.
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