Foster youth: enrichment activities.

Existing law states the policy of the state that all minors and nonminors in foster care have specified rights, including, among others, the right to attend school and participate in extracurricular, cultural, and personal enrichment activities, consistent with the child's age and developmental level, with minimal disruptions to school attendance and educational stability. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, to establish, on or before January 1, 2020, the California Foster Youth Enrichment Grant Pilot Program, upon appropriation by the Legislature of funds for that purpose, to provide grants of $500 or less to qualified foster youth to enable them to participate in activities designed to enhance the foster youth's skills, abilities, self-esteem, or overall well-being. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2020, to allocate funds appropriated for these purposes, up to a total of $12,500,000, to 4 county child welfare agencies that submit a 2-year plan by a request for proposal developed by the department. The bill would require the department to select 2 rural counties and 2 urban counties to participate in the pilot program. The bill would require a child welfare agency to indicate its interest in participating in the pilot program by submitting a 2-year plan on or before May 1, 2020, and would specify the required components of the plan. The bill would require the department to develop a grant application form and grant approval instructions for participating county child welfare agencies for purposes of the pilot program. The bill would authorize a specified caregiver to submit an application on behalf of a foster child or youth, and would authorize a foster youth to receive a maximum of $1,000 annually through the pilot program. The bill would prohibit funds provided for purposes of the pilot program from being used for administrative activities. The bill would require the department, on or before October 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes annual data required to be submitted to the department by participating counties. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2023.