First Lady's Futures for Kids Program Expands Youth Mentoring

SPRINGFIELD -- First Lady Lura Lynn Ryan and Secretary Linda Reneé Baker, Illinois Department of Human Services today announced an expansion of the Teen REACH program to add a summer youth mentoring component.

"The goals of reducing substance abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency and gang involvement are equally important to pursue during the summer months when youth have substantial amounts of free time on their hands," Mrs. Ryan said. "These additional funds will allow the peer mentoring component of the Teen REACH after-school program to expand their hours of operation during the summer months."

Teen REACH is a component of the First Lady's Futures for Kids program and is administered by the Department of Human Services throughout the State to provide after-school programs for high-risk youth between the six years and 17 years old. In addition to mentoring, Teen REACH provides academic assistance, recreation and cultural activities, life-skill education, and events that strengthen the parent and child bonds and community involvement with young people.

"Illinois is unique in its efforts to implement such a comprehensive out-of-school program, explained Baker. " We have had an overwhelming interest in this program from a diverse group of organizations across the State, including many non-traditional human services grantees."

Supplemental funding will be distributed to 50 Teen REACH sites to operate the summer peer mentoring projects. The expanded scope of the programs is consistent with Mrs. Ryan's Futures for Kids emphasis on starting prevention and intervention activities early and to increase the overall effectiveness of public and private programs for children.

In his first month in office, Governor and Mrs. Ryan launched Futures for Kids, an umbrella for prevention and early intervention programs designed to increase success in school, reduce youth substance abuse and juvenile delinquency. Futures for Kids focuses on four key components: early intervention programs for children ages birth to ten; family and community involvement programs; school success and safe neighborhoods.

Mrs. Ryan chairs the Futures for Kids Advisory Panel consisting of leaders from business, government, education, research and children's advocacy groups. The following is a list of Teen REACH programs that received the supplemental funding grants.