Wayne County Juvenile Mentoring Program

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

Utilizing the 4-H program model of volunteers and the 'Elements of Effective Practice,' the Wayne County Department of Children and Family Services and Michigan State University Extension established a youth mentoring program to serve adjudicated and at risk youth throughout Wayne County, Michigan. The Wayne County Mentoring Initiative helps young people improve academically, strengthens relationships with peers and adults, reduces delinquency rates and develops employability skills. Wayne County is seeking to continue one-on-one mentoring services to 100 at-risk youth and recruit a minimum of 25 adults during the grant period to serve as small group mentors to an additional 100 low-income, at-risk youth aged 10'17 during out-of-school hours. The Wayne County Mentoring Initiative will be expanded and strengthened to provide twice-per-week group mentoring sessions for youth who are awaiting a one-on-one mentor match. The implementation of a community-based group mentoring component will allow youth on the waiting list to participate in a consistent mentoring environment until a transition to the 1-on-1 match phase is completed. The group mentoring component will be coordinated by a Wayne County-based human service organization and will be monitored and supported by Michigan State University Extension.

NCA/NCF