Frank Lautenberg: “millions of young people cry out for help. It would be irresponsible to turn our backs and do nothing when a solution is…”

“millions of young people cry out for help. It would be irresponsible to turn our backs and do nothing when a solution is not only at hand--but has already proven a helping hand. The problem is ``at-risk'' youth. The solution is mentoring. Mr. President, let me give you some idea of the scope of the problem. Last month the census released a report that said half of America's 16 and 17 year olds are at-risk children. Half. That's 3.7 million children at just those two ages. Other estimates run as high as 15 million for children of all ages. Among the factors putting these children at risk are poverty and being raised in a single-parent family. Twenty-one percent of our children live in poverty--a six point increase since 1970. Twenty-eight percent live in one-parent households--a 16-percent increase since 1970. These ``at-risk'' children are more likely to drop out of school and be unable to find work. And that, Mr. President, is the path to drugs and crime. Mentoring is a proven way to reach out to these kids and provide them with caring role models who can help turn their lives around. Earlier this month, Attorney General Janet Reno reported that violent crime by teenagers had dropped for the second straight year. Among the reasons for the drop, General Reno cited the community mentoring programs that we created with the original Juvenile Mentoring Program, or JUMP, in 1992.”