[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E83]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING DUNCAN CAMPBELL AND THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF FRIENDS OF THE 
                                CHILDREN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2023

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I want to take the opportunity today to 
celebrate the accomplishments of Duncan Campbell who, in addition to 
being a business entrepreneur and a philanthropist, I am grateful to 
call a friend. Duncan is a pioneer in changing the way we help 
America's children and young people who are facing the greatest 
challenges in life. Starting as a childcare worker for juvenile 
offenders and later working on the Governor's Children Agenda and 
serving as Chairman of the Multnomah County Juvenile Services 
Commission, Duncan has spent decades dedicated to the pursuit of 
improving the lives of children who are born into unfortunate 
circumstances. I especially want to highlight a program he created, 
Friends of the Children, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this 
year.
  Friends of the Children is a mentoring organization that enrolls 
children ages 4 to 6 who are facing the most extreme challenges, and 
provides them with salaried, professional mentors who meet with them 
every week through high school graduation. Each professional mentor, 
called a Friend, works with 8 to 10 children. Children spend 16 hours 
per month with their Friends, working to achieve a set of 
individualized goals that place them on a path to success.
  The Friends model created by Duncan is now gaining national 
recognition as a solution to some of our greatest challenges, and I 
find it a privilege to advocate for it here in Congress. It can be used 
to prevent foster care placement and improve stability for children 
already in the system. Investing in paid, professional mentoring would 
reduce the burden on existing systems and increase the number of 
children receiving evidence-based services. The program has been 
carefully analyzed by a wide variety of experts. It works. It's 
extraordinarily successful, having grown into a national network of 30 
cities.
  Friends of the Children is a program unlike any other. It is the 
solution to breaking the cycle of poverty and trauma. With the 
intensity and duration to change life trajectories, it provides more 
equitable opportunities for youth experiencing trauma or living in 
extreme poverty. The Friends of the Children relationship-based service 
model addresses the needs of our country's most vulnerable youth, 
empowering them to move beyond their circumstances to become healthy, 
contributing citizens. I encourage my colleagues to partner with 
chapters that serve their constituents and hear more about how their 
communities benefit from this program.
  I offer my congratulations to Duncan, on the work he's done these 
last 30 years and I look forward to working with him for years to come.

                          ____________________