In the period between 1991 and 1999, the number of children with a parent incarcerated in a Federal or State correctional facility increased by more than 100 percent, from approximately 900,000 to approximately 2,000,000. In 1999, 2.1 percent of all children in the United States had a parent in Federal or State prison.

Prior to incarceration, 64 percent of female prisoners and 44 percent of male prisoners in State facilities lived with their children.

Nearly 90 percent of the children of incarcerated fathers live with their mothers, and 79 percent of the children of incarcerated mothers live with a grandparent or other relative.

Parental arrest and confinement lead to stress, trauma, stigmatization, and separation problems for children. These problems are coupled with existing problems that include poverty, violence, parental substance abuse, high-crime environments, intrafamilial abuse, child abuse and neglect, multiple care givers, and/or prior separations. As a result, these children often exhibit a broad variety of behavioral, emotional, health, and educational problems that are often compounded by the pain of separation.

Empirical research demonstrates that mentoring is a potent force for improving children’s behavior across all risk behaviors affecting health. Quality, one-on-one relationships that provide young people with caring role models for future success have profound, life-changing potential. Done right, mentoring markedly advances youths’ life prospects. A widely cited 1995 study by Public/Private Ventures measured the impact of one Big Brothers Big Sisters program and found significant effects in the lives of youth—cutting first-time drug use by almost half and first-time alcohol use by about a third, reducing school absenteeism by half, cutting assaultive behavior by a third, improving parental and peer relationships, giving youth greater confidence in their school work, and improving academic performance.

to make competitive grants to applicants in areas with substantial numbers of children of incarcerated parents, to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of public and private community entities to provide mentoring services for children of prisoners; and

to enter into on a competitive basis a cooperative agreement to conduct a service delivery demonstration project in accordance with the requirements of subsection (g).

a list of local public and private organizations and entities that will participate in the mentoring network;

the name, description, and qualifications of the entity that will coordinate and oversee the activities of the mentoring network;

the number of mentor-child matches proposed to be established and maintained annually under the program;

such information as the Secretary may require concerning the methods to be used to recruit, screen support, and oversee individuals participating as mentors, (which methods shall include criminal background checks on the individuals), and to evaluate outcomes for participating children, including information necessary to demonstrate compliance with requirements established by the Secretary for the program; and

such other information as the Secretary may require.

consult with public and private community entities, including religious organizations, and including, as appropriate, Indian tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations, and with family members of potential clients;

coordinate the programs and activities under the program with other Federal, State, and local programs serving children and youth; and

consult with appropriate Federal, State, and local corrections, workforce development, and substance abuse and mental health agencies.

75 percent for the first and second fiscal years for which the grant is awarded; and

50 percent for the third and each succeeding such fiscal years.

monitor and oversee the delivery of mentoring services by providers that accept the vouchers.

meet the quality standards identified by the eligible entity in accordance with paragraph (1);

agree to accept a voucher meeting the requirements of paragraph (5) as payment for the provision of mentoring services to a child on whose behalf the voucher is issued;

demonstrate that the provider has the capacity, and has or will have nonfederal resources, to continue supporting the provision of mentoring services to the child on whose behalf the voucher is issued, as appropriate, after the conclusion of the 12-month period during which the voucher is in effect; and

if the provider is a recipient of a grant under this section, demonstrate that the provider has exhausted its capacity for providing mentoring services under the grant.

The characteristics of the mentoring programs funded under this section.

The plan for implementation of the service delivery demonstration project authorized under subsection (g).

A description of the outcome-based evaluation of the programs authorized under this section that the Secretary is conducting as of September 28, 2006, and how the evaluation has been expanded to include an evaluation of the demonstration project authorized under subsection (g).

The date on which the Secretary shall submit a final report on the evaluation to the Congress.