TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas officials say a voluntary mentoring program for welfare recipients has attracted few participants and mentors.

The program has had 13 participants since it started six months ago, and 115 people have volunteered to be mentors, The Wichita Eagle reported. The goal is to have 1,100 mentors.

The program is known as HOPE, which stands for Hope, Opportunity and Prosperity for Everyone.

Gov. Sam Brownback announced the program in January as part of a push to lift low-income families out of poverty. Brownback recently questioned at meeting of the Social Services Program Council whether the program was approaching participants early enough.

Susan Mosier, the secretary of the state Department of Health and Environment, suggested creating incentives for welfare recipients to participate.

“I don’t think we’ve communicated and packaged it in a way that’s captured people’s attention,” Mosier said during the meeting.

The program plans to expand its one-on-one mentoring to youth graduating from the foster care system in the next few weeks.

The project is being funded by a federal grant and is projected to cost about $350,000 a year. It is modeled on a similar program with the state Department of Corrections.

According to Brownback, the Department of Corrections program has fewer volunteer mentors, but more people who want a mentor.