Mentoring Toward Success

One of the major challenges that foster care children often face in their personal development is the lack of the involvement of a consistent, caring adult in their lives. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will assist communities in establishing or expanding mentoring and support services for youth in foster care and foster care youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The legislative authority for this initiative can be found in the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8.

Metropolitan Family Services proposes Mentoring Toward Success, which will provide at-risk foster care youth, age 14-21, with a structured, caring relationship with an adult who will help them succeed after emancipation from care. The program's goals are to prevent juvenile delinquency by providing mentoring to youth in foster care, and to strengthen the capacity of the community to develop sustainable mentoring collaboratives. The program will provide one on one mentoring for youth using the Let Each One Teach One model. Mentors will help youth to set and attain goals for the future. The program will provide self regulation skill building activities, tutoring, help with resume writing, and help with college applications. The program will provide financial management and job readiness training and activities that expose youth to institutions of higher education. Short term outcomes are: youth will improve or maintain grades and school attendance; will not be suspended; and will graduate from high school. Mentors will be retained one to three years. Long term outcomes are: youth will go to college and/or get jobs; will not have any delinquent activity; and the program will be sustained. CA/NCF