WASHINGTON -- The United States Senate today approved a bill to expand volunteer opportunities nationwide, which includes an amendment authored by Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., to add programs for mentoring foster youth to the list of service programs eligible for assistance.

Mentoring programs that focus on children in foster care, such as those supported in the Landrieu amendment, are unique. They require specialized training and support to provide for consistent, long-term relationships for children in care. Children who are mentored are 45 percent less likely to use illicit drugs, 59 percent more likely to succeed in school, and 73 percent more likely to attain higher life achievement goals.

"The Serve America Act is an incredible investment in national service and volunteerism," Sen. Landrieu said. "My amendment adds no cost to the bill and helps ensure that foster care children can connect with positive role models. A mentor to a foster child may be the one adult in their lives who can provide steady guidance and support. Numerous studies have shown that mentor programs are a cost-effective approach to decreasing teen pregnancy, substance abuse, incarceration and violence. When we talk about the importance of national service, we must not forget to reach out to those children who lack permanent homes and desperately need the guidance of an adult mentor."

There are approximately 550,000 children in foster care, and 100,000 of them are waiting to find a home with a permanent loving family. One in every three children in foster care has been in care for more than five years. Each year, 25,000 of them will "age out" without ever having the promise of a family fulfilled. Some studies report high school dropout rates among foster care youth as high as 55 percent, and 40 percent are forced to rely on public assistance. Fewer than 15 percent go on to college.

Overall, the Serve America Act renews a spirit of national service by making volunteering easier and more rewarding for all Americans. This bill expands service opportunities for senior citizens that build on their skills and experience. Middle- and high school students would also be incentivized to volunteer by increasing the education award for full-time volunteers and linking it to increases in the maximum Pell Grant.

Since August 2005, the Corporation for National and Community Service has provided more than $160 million worth of resources to Gulf Coast states recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Working in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state and local authorities, and hundreds of nonprofit groups, more than 105,000 national service volunteers have contributed more than 5.4 million hours to the relief and rebuilding effort. They also have coordinated an additional 405,000 community volunteers, a major share of the overall volunteer force.

"Volunteers from across the nation have done incredibly important work in helping our recovery efforts," Sen. Landrieu said. "Louisianians will always be grateful for the help they provided us in our time of need. Our experience demonstrates the many advantages of robust national service programs and highlights the significance of passing the Serve America Act. One of America's greatest resources is the millions of people who volunteer each year to make our communities and nation a better place."

The Serve America Act builds on the success of the AmeriCorps program by more than tripling the number of volunteers, and creates:

• an Education Corps to help increase student achievement and graduation rates;

• a Healthy Futures Corps to improve access to health care;

• a Clean Energy Corps to encourage energy efficiency and conservation measures;

• a Veterans Corps to assist our nation's veterans; and

• an Opportunity Corps to assist the economically disadvantaged.

Additional Facts:

• This legislation will expand the number of national service participants to 250,000, renewing our commitment to volunteerism.

• It also increases the Eli Segal Education Award from $4,725 to $5,350 to keep up with the rising cost of college, and links it to Pell Grants so that it will continue to increase in the future. The Award can be used to pay for higher education, including student loans.

• It strengthens the current Learn and Serve program, authorizes a Summer of Service program for middle and high school students, and improves opportunities for youth in low-income, high-need communities to engage in service. The bill also strengthens and expands the current Senior Corps programs.

• The bill recognizes the importance of innovation in the nonprofit sector by establishing a "Social Innovation Fund" to serve as venture capital to help the nonprofit sector seek talent and put it to work.