SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS AND BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS ORGANIZATIONS.

SEC. 1072. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS AND BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS ORGANIZATIONS. (a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) The Big Brothers of America and the Big Sisters of America, consisting of 499 independent organizations located across the United States, assist at-risk children and the families of such children by establishing mentor programs that foster one-to-one relationships between such children and concerned adult mentors. (2) The Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations annually assist approximately 110,000 such children. (3) As a result of cooperation between the Department of Defense and Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations, successful mentor programs have been established at several military installations located in the United States and overseas. (4) There are an estimated 80,000 single-parent families, and at least 80,000 at-risk youth in those families, that are headed by members of the Armed Forces. (5) Appropriately trained members of the Armed Forces are exceptionally qualified to serve as concerned adult mentors of at-risk youths in Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentor programs. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that— (1) additional cooperation between the Department of Defense and the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations located in communities near military installations will assist members of the Armed Forces serving at those installations and those communities in responding to the family support needs of those members and communities; and (2) the Secretary of Defense should take all practicable steps necessary to encourage such cooperation at military installations located in the United States and to promote the establishment of additional Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations at such installations located overseas.