Res. No. 1210 Title Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass the Safe Mentoring Act, A. 8097-B and S. 5243-B, an act that provides for the certification of mentoring supervisors and requires criminal history background checks of mentors who have unsupervised contact with youth. Body By Council Members Lopez, Avella, Baez, Fidler, Foster, Gentile, Jackson, Nelson, Recchia, Rivera, Sanders, Seabrook and Vann Whereas, Mentoring is the fastest growing youth service in the United States, with over 50,000 children participating annually in the over 2500 mentoring programs operating in New York State; and Whereas, Child mentors are among the only service providers who work in unsupervised, one-to-one environments with children and are not required to be screened for prior criminal history; and Whereas, The Safe Mentoring Act, A. 8097-B and S. 5243-B, establishes a voluntary certification and training program for mentoring supervisors; and Whereas, The Safe Mentoring Act would also require similar criminal background checks for mentors as are now required for teachers, childcare workers, school bus drivers, and other adults who spend unsupervised time with children; and Whereas, The protections in the Safe Mentoring Act will assist organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City in providing safe and effective mentoring programs; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass the Safe Mentoring Act, A. 8097-B and S. 5243-B, an act that provides for the certification of mentoring supervisors and requires criminal history background checks of mentors who have unsupervised contact with youth. RBU LS 3634 12/03/2003