Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2025

The Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2025 would create a new federal grant program to support mentoring for children in foster care and for people who have experienced foster care up to age 25. The program, run under the Social Security Act’s IV-B provisions, would fund a network of public and private community entities (including nonprofits, state child welfare agencies, local school districts, tribal organizations, and faith-based groups) to recruit, train, and supervise mentors—who can be adults or trained peers—and to sustain long-term mentoring relationships (generally at least one year). Grants would cover program design, mentor recruitment and training, screening, participant engagement, and related activities, with an emphasis on culturally competent practices and serving transition-aged youth. The bill sets detailed requirements for grant applications, oversight, and evaluation, and would require annual reporting to Congress on program reach, mentor and participant characteristics, education outcomes, and waitlists. It authorizes $50 million for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027, plus any needed funds in later years, signaling a significant federal commitment to expanding mentoring as a strategy to improve outcomes for foster youth, including better educational attainment, mental health, and reduced risk of negative outcomes.