On February 8, the House approved, 414-0, a resolution (H. Res. 46) supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month. Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE) sponsored the resolution.
According to the resolution, “Research has shown that mentoring has a definitive impact on young people by increasing attendance at school, improving rates of high school graduation and college attendance, and decreasing involvement with drugs, alcohol, and violent behaviors.” Noting that there are 15.1 million young children who need or want a mentor, the resolution states that the celebration of National Mentoring Month “would, above all, encourage more individuals to volunteer as mentors, helping close the nation’s mentoring gap.”
Arguing that the 20 million children in the United States who are raised by a single parent often turn to harmful behaviors, Rep. Osborne stated, “A significant number of our children are involved in alcohol and drug abuse…Promiscuity, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases have become a major problem. The out-of-wedlock birthrate has increased from 5 percent in 1960 to 33 percent today.” Asking his colleagues what can be done, he added, “We certainly cannot legislate stronger families, but we can promote mentoring.”
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) said that mentoring programs “link children with caring, responsible adults to provide opportunities for young people to develop strong character and new capabilities. Mentoring opportunities are a proven method, as has been pointed out, to help children who may be struggling in school or at home or just in life. We need to take advantage of mentoring opportunities to allow every child to become self-sufficient, have better self-esteem, and feel that they too can achieve the American Dream.”
