Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a proclamation touting the work of adults who serve as mentors to children in need of support.

The Republican governor signed the document on Friday, designating January as Kansas Mentoring Month. He was joined by volunteers from youth organizations during the Statehouse event, including members of the Jayhawk Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Kansas has more than 175 mentoring programs that work to improve the social and economic well-being of children.

Brownback has also supported a program in state prisons that match mentors with inmates as they prepare to return to society. He says the program has more than 4,000 mentors but is aiming for 6,000.