Good News Out of D.C. – President Biden’s FY22 Budget Request Increases Funding for Mentoring
June 1, 2021
Last week, President Biden released his FY22 budget request to Congress, laying out his priorities for federal funding. Presidential budget requests are nonbinding political documents that outline the priorities the Administration will focus on in the months ahead.
Historically, the President’s budget has not been a boon for youth mentoring. In the eight years spanning two Administrations, the President’s budget has recommended between $43 and $58 million for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Youth Mentoring Program grant. This competitive grant continues to be the sole federal budget allocation specifically for youth mentoring.
President Biden’s budget recommends the OJJDP Youth Mentoring Program grant be funded at $120 million in FY22. This represents a $20 million increase over current funding and matches the funding recommendation MENTOR made to Congress this year. This is excellent news for mentoring as the OJJDP grant is already the single biggest investment in evidence-based youth mentoring in the U.S. With the recommended increase in funding, thousands more youth mentoring matches will be made and more training and technical assistance via the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC) will be delivered nationwide to drive quality and impact. The increase is a clear result of the advocacy for and leadership of the mentoring movement in recent years. It also a clear indication of the urgent need for our nation’s recovery to prioritize the healthy development of young people and the central role of relationships in thriving and striving.
Some other highlights from the president’s FY22 budget request to Congress:
- A proposed $52 million increase to the before and afterschool program, 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- A proposal to double to number of school nurses, counselors and mental health professionals in schools in the next decade, starting with funding investments in FY22
- More than a $430 million increase proposed to invest in youth involved with the juvenile justice system, including support for trafficked girls, $11 million for the Youth PROMISE Act and more.
- A proposed $89 million increase in the AmeriCorps budget, including investments in racial and economic equity, increasing the living allowance for AmeriCorps VISTA members and prioritizing serving communities and individuals with the greatest need
Congress will begin working on their FY22 appropriations bills in the coming weeks. We will hear from the House appropriators in June and July and the Senate appropriators sometime after. MENTOR will continue to push forward with our efforts to see Congress increase the OJJDP Youth Mentoring Program grant in FY22 and benefit from the support and momentum the President’s budget request has provided. Be sure to sign up to receive MENTOR’s advocacy updates so you can take action to steer Congress in the right direction when needed.