[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 175 (Monday, November 17, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

  Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I rise today to recognize National 
Mentoring Month. The designation of January as National Mentoring Month 
allows us to focus national attention on the need for mentors, as well 
as how each of us--individuals, businesses, schools and community 
groups--can work together to ensure brighter futures for our young 
people.
  Mentors serve as role models, advocates, friends and advisers. 
Numerous studies show that mentors help young people augment social 
skills, enhance emotional well-being, improve cognitive skills and plan 
for the future. For some children, having a caring adult mentor to turn 
to for guidance and encouragement can make the crucial difference 
between success and failure in life.
  As a longtime mentor myself, I certainly know that there are few 
things more rewarding than making a difference in the life of a child. 
Mentoring programs are not only advantageous to our students, but they 
are also rewarding to the mentor. In Delaware, mentoring has become an 
integral part of our school system and is one of the keys to improving 
academic achievement among at-risk students.
  As Governor, I helped recruit 10,000 mentors as part of a statewide 
effort and was actively involved in encouraging individuals, churches, 
service clubs, students and corporations to help mentor Delaware's at-
risk children. However, at the national level, 15 million children are 
still in need of mentors, and it is imperative that we continue to 
expand grant programs.
  I am proud that Congress has been working toward increasing the 
funding for mentoring. I have cosponsored two pieces of legislation 
that support mentoring including the Mentoring America's Children Act, 
which was introduced by Senator Clinton. This bill is based on joint 
recommendations of the MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, Big 
Brothers Big Sisters of America and the National Collaboration for 
Youth. The act would broaden the reach of mentoring programs to include 
a number of specific populations of young people--including children in 
foster care and those living in communities with high rates of youth 
suicide. The Mentoring America's Children Act would also help students 
gain professional skills by implementing internship programs during the 
school year.
  The second piece of legislation I have cosponsored is the Mentoring 
for All Act. This bill, introduced by Senator Kerry, would create a 
competitive grant fund to strengthen and grow mentoring infrastructure 
across the country and provide additional support and funding to direct 
service mentoring organizations, both at the national and local levels.
  In addition to cosponsoring these two bills, I also signed onto a 
letter to Senators Harkin and Specter encouraging increased funding for 
mentoring to be added into the fiscal year 2009 budget. The letter 
encourages the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, 
and Education to include $100 million in their appropriations bills for 
mentoring.
  There are literally millions of students in our schools who would 
benefit greatly from having another positive role model in their lives. 
I pledge to continue to fight for increased funding of mentoring 
programs all year, not just during National Mentoring Month. I am proud 
and grateful to our Nation's mentors who realize that less than an hour 
of our time each school week can make a lifetime of difference to a 
child and to each of us.

                          ____________________