HHS AWARDS NEARLY $9 MILLION TO SUPPORT MENTORING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN OF PRISONERS

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced nearly $9 million in grants to 52 organizations to train adult volunteers as mentors to children whose parents are incarcerated. These grants are part of President Bush's plan to provide mentors for disadvantaged youth to help them as they grow into adulthood.

"Mentors offer love, guidance and encouragement to the children they connect with," Secretary Thompson said. "This program will give children whose parents are incarcerated the support they need as they face the day-to-day challenges of growing up."

Between 1991 and 1999, the number of children with a parent in a federal or state correctional facility increased by more than 100 percent, from about 900,000 to about 2,000,000. Fewer than 50 percent of prisoners receive regular visits from their children, either because the children's caregiver chooses not to visit or because the distance is prohibitive. Studies show that children with incarcerated parents have a seven times greater chance than the general population to become incarcerated themselves.

The grantee organizations will receive referrals from parents, caretakers, schools, courts, social services agencies or religious organizations. They will train and match mentors with children from age four to 15. They will also screen all potential mentors for child and domestic abuse and other criminal history.

Mentors will be required to make at least a one-year commitment and to meet at least once weekly with his or her child. They will also be encouraged to form a relationship with the whole family in order to ease the transition when the incarcerated parent is released. The grantees will monitor and assist the mentors on an ongoing basis.

"I believe this is one of the most important set of grants we will award this year," said Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., assistant secretary for children and families. "Connecting young people whose parents are in prison with mentors at this critical time in their lives should really make a lasting positive difference."

This list of grantees and the amount of their awards follow:

MENTORING CHILDREN OF PRISONERS FISCAL YEAR 2003 GRANTEES

Organization City State Award

Alabama Attorney Montgomery AL $461,568
General's Office

Center For Youth Little Rock AR $525,000
and Families, Inc

MatchPoint of Phoenix AZ $75,000
Arizona, Inc.

Pima Prevention Tucson AZ $195,000
Partnership

Centerforce, Inc San Rafael CA $70,000

Governor's Office Sacramento CA $270,000
of Criminal Justice
Planning

Northern Valley Redding CA $120,000
Catholic Social
Services

Path of Life Riverside CA $480,000
Ministries

San Diego Youth and San Diego CA $150,000
Community Services,
Inc

Denver County Area Denver CO $100,000
Youth Services

Governor's Hartford CT $225,000
Partnership to
Protect
Connecticut;
Workforce, Inc.

Nutmeg Big Brothers Hartford CT $270,000
Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Wilmington DE $82,500
Sisters of DE, Inc

Hawaii Youth Honolulu HI $165,000
Services Network

Franklin Williamson West Frankfort IL $75,000
Human Services, Inc

Indiana Behavioral Indianapolis IN $172,500
Health Choices,
Inc.

YMCA of Greater Louisville KY $52,500
Louisville

Community Service New Orleans LA $62,500
Center, Inc.

Breaking the Chains Hyattsville MD $120,000
Foundation

Center for Children LaPlata MD $47,044

US Dream Academy, Columbia MD $420,000
Inc.

Volunteers of Brunswick ME $120,000
America Northern
New England

Alternatives for Detroit MI $100,000
Girls

Volunteers in Detroit MI $240,000
Prevention,
Probation, and
Prisons, Inc

Search Institute Minneapolis MN $150,000

Big Brothers Big St. Louis MO $193,500
Sisters of Eastern
Missouri

Missoula County Missoula MT $60,000

Montana Human Bozeman MT $112,500
Resources
Development Council
Directors

Big Brothers Big Charlotte NC $238,500
Sisters of Greater
Charlotte

Chatham County Pittsboro NC $30,000
Together!

Girl Scouts of North Branch NJ $60,000
Rolling Hills
Council

San Juan County Farmington NM $200,000
Partnership, Inc.

Center For Syracuse NY $150,000
Community
Alternatives, Inc

Edwin Gould New York NY $75,000
Services for
Children and
Families

The Osborne Long Island City NY $75,000
Association, Inc

Big Brothers Big Columbus OH $256,932
Sisters Association
of Central Ohio,
Inc.

Little Dixie Hugo OK $60,000
Community Action
Agency

Big Brothers Big Portland OR $105,000
Sisters of
Metropolitan
Portland

Committed Partners Eugene OR $75,000
for Youth

Deschutes County Bend OR $62,500

Big Brothers Big Philadelphia PA $450,000
Sisters of
Southeastern PA

Big Brothers/Big Jamison PA $82,000
Sisters of Bucks
County, Inc

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA $180,000
Leadership
Foundation

The Salvation Army, Philadelphia PA $95,000
a New York
Corporation

Big Brothers Big San Antonio TX $487,500
Sisters, Alamo Area

City of Longview Longview TX $175,000

Montgomery County Conroe TX $75,000
Youth Services, Inc

South Plains Levelland TX $90,000
Community Action
Association, Inc.

Center For Falls Church VA $100,000
Multicultural Human
Services

Girl Scouts-Totem Seattle WA $67,500
Council

Volunteers of Everett WA $165,000
America Western
Washington

Big Brothers Big Milwaukee WI $400,000
Sisters of
Metropolitan
Milwaukee

Total Awarded: $8,869,544

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Note

All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: October 3, 2003