State

Advocacy resources

• Veto override template 
• Advocating for resources to support youth mentoring - webinar slides
• Introduction to advocacy and Massachusetts state government
• Budget timeline - when to act
• Communicating with public officials
• Tips for meeting with legislators
• Examples of programs engaging in youth advocacy
• Steps of the budget process

Final FY 11 budget level-funds mentoring at $100,000
On June 30, Gov. Patrick released his final FY11 budget, which funded the Mentoring Matching Grants line item (7061-9634) at $100,000 and vetoed all funding across the budget that was dependent on the pending receipt of federal aid.  While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we continue to be grateful that we were able to maintain at least the current level of funding. As you may remember, the Mentoring Matching Grants line item was not included in either of the Governor's budgets last year.

In order for the line item to be funded at our requested level of $250,000, the U.S. Senate needed to pass the Federal Medical Assistance Program (FMAP) in H.R.4213, "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act," which would provide Massachusetts with $687 million in federal health care aid and extend unemployment benefits.  Unfortunately, this bill remains stuck in the Senate, and it is unclear when or even if this aid will arrive.

The Legislature's response to the Governor's budget at this point (whether or not they will attempt to override his FMAP vetoes) is uncertain as well. However, one thing that we can definitively say is that we will continue to advocate for these critical resources to support the mentoring field, and we will keep you up-to-date as the situation develops.

 Ready by 21 initiative
The Forum for Youth Investment facilitated a Ready by 21 discussion with the Massachusetts Action Planning Team, which is made up of over 100 members and was convened and supported by United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.  Mass Mentoring Partnership served on the APT, along with stakeholders across sectors, disciplines, and agencies.

The APT held a series of ground-breaking conversations to define and advance a set of shared goals and strategies capable of lifting all children, youth and families toward self-sufficiency and success for life.  In June 2009, the APT submitted the plan "Ready for Lifelong Success: A Call for Collaborative Action On Behalf of Massachusetts’ Children and Youth" to Gov. Patrick and the Governor's Readiness Cabinet.

The Cabinet – chaired by the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services, and additionally consisting of the Secretaries of Labor and Workforce Development, Administration and Finance, Public Safety and Housing and Economic Development and the Child Advocate – was appreciative of the report, noting its value as a public/private collaboration, and endorsed the blueprint.  The Readiness Cabinet is now working to finalize its own agenda for youth based on the Success for Life framework.

In the coming months, work will be done with community leaders, service providers, funders, businesses and policy makers throughout the state to begin implementing the recommendations.  A sub-committee has formed within the APT and is focused on implementing mentoring as a strategy.  

Coalition seeks to improve academic outcomes for MA youth
Mass Mentoring is participating in the newly formed Social Innovation Coalition, a group of youth-serving organizations committed to improving academic outcomes for youth in MA.

The coalition has been in conversation with Secretary Reville about the potential to leverage current impactful work to more broadly improve the dropout rate, close achievement gaps, and address the need for quality, affordable early childhood education.

In response to the recently released report, "Making the Connection: Report of the Graduation and Dropout Prevention and Recovery Commission," Secretary Reville asked the coalition to inventory its resources and provide details of how it could collectively work to meet those challenges. On behalf of the mentoring field, MMP submitted a brief which includes the research-based connection between mentoring and educational outcomes, as well as examples of programs’ outcomes in these areas.

National

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) priorities for
FY 2010
OJJDP released its FY10 investment priorities - which include funding dedicated to youth mentoring - for public comments. See how MMP responded.

Legislative campaign reenergized
Mentoring partnerships are mobilizing to gain support from both houses of Congress on the Child Protection Improvements Act, which would create a permanent successor to SafetyNET.

Movement on the legislation has slowed since the summer, when Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduced the bill in the Senate (S. 1598). Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Ensign (R-NV), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ted Kaufman (D-DE), Arlen Specter (D-PA), David Vitter (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are Senate cosponsors.

Visit MENTOR's site to learn more about the issue and what you can do.