Kansas Health Institute | Information For Policy Makers. Health for Kansans.

TOPEKA — The House Social Services Budget Committee has proposed eliminating a state-funded mentoring program championed by Kansas State University football coach Bill Snyder.

“This is a year in which we’re having to set priorities, we’re having to chose between wants and needs,” said the committee’s chairwoman, Rep. Peggy Mast, R-Emporia. “Mentoring is a wonderful thing, but I’m afraid that in times like these it’s something all of us should want to do, but with groups like Big Brothers and Big Sisters and 4H and after school programs, I don’t know that it’s something that government needs to do."

The nine-member committee voted last week to instead use Kansas Mentors’ $102,000 allocation to shore up the state’s Tiny K program and to cover the cost of printing pamphlets informing pregnant women of the alternatives to abortion.

The committee’s recommendation called for setting aside $15,000 for the pamphlets; about $87,500 for Tiny K.

Tiny K is a program for developmentally disabled infants and toddlers.

All three programs – Kansas Mentors, Tiny K, and the so-called Women’s Right to Know – are within the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The committtee’s vote was divided along party lines. Republicans voted to pull the funding, Democrats voted to leave it intact.

“I’m not in favor of raiding one fund to fund another fund unless there’s no way we can do better,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence. “In this instance, I think we can do better. I’m all for Tiny K, but I think we should be funding mentoring as well.”

The social services committee filed its recommendations Monday with the House Appropriations Committee, which is expected to take them up next month.

Former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, launched Kansas Mentor in 2006, shortly after Snyder announced his initial decision to retire from coaching.

Since then, Snyder has been outspoken in his support for the program. He returned to coaching in 2008.

KHI News Service efforts to reach Snyder for comment were unsuccessful.

Almost half the program’s budget is spent on operating an office that serves as an informational clearing house for mentoring programs throughout the state.

The office also has a fund that helps local mentoring programs cover the costs of background checks.

“For any nonprofit, that’s a huge expense,” said Kansas Mentors Director Ella Todd. She is the office’s sole employee.

Todd said most of her time is spent recruiting and training mentors and providing technical assistance to local programs.

A spokesman for Gov. Mark Parkinson said the governor is hopeful the program’s funding will be restored.

“The governor has partnered with Coach Snyder on this important effort since 2006,” said Seth Bundy , communications director. “The governor also understands that there are no easy choices left to responsibly balance the 2011 budget. However, between now and the consensus revenue estimate in April, it is likely that the different budget suggestions will emerge and be reexamined. Until then, it is too early to consider any action final or permanent.”

Legislators last year eliminated funding that was used to help communities start mentoring programs.

“We lost two-thirds of our funding last year,” Todd said. “So, really, this isn’t new. It’s always been a challenge.”