Bill Text: CA SB219 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 219 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Foster youth: enrichment activities.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - August 30 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB219 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB219-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate March 26, 2019

Amended IN Senate March 12, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 219

Introduced by Senator Wilk
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Kiley)
(Coauthor: Senator Leyva)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Cooley, Gipson, and Lackey)

February 07, 2019

An act to add and repeal Section 16007 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to foster youth.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 219, as amended, Wilk. 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, ~~until January 1, 2024,~~ on or before January 1, 2020, the California Foster Youth Enrichment Grant Pilot ~~Program. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services, upon appropriation by the Legislature,~~ 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 that enhance the foster youth’s skills, abilities, self-esteem, or overall well-being. The bill would require the department, on or before March 1, 2020, to convene a workgroup to develop an implementation plan for the pilot program. The bill would require the department to conduct the pilot program in four counties with the highest need, as specified. The bill would specify the eligibility criterion for receipt of a grant and the authorized uses of a grant. The bill would require a recipient, within 6 months after receipt of a grant, to submit copies of receipts showing the purchase of the program, product, or service, and payment of any directly related costs purchased with the grant. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2020, to allocate funds appropriated for these purposes 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 authorize a resource parent 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 require the department, on or before ~~January 1, 2023,~~ October 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature that ~~addresses, among other things, data on the number of applications received and the number of grants awarded.~~ includes annual data required to be submitted to the department by participating counties. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, ~~2024.~~ 2023.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:

(a) California foster youth face many challenges. Approximately three-fourths of youth in foster care have spent two or more years in the system between birth and grade 12. While in foster care, about 70 percent of youth had three or more placements. Less than one-half of all foster youth complete high school.

(b) Participating in extracurricular and enrichment activities, including, but not limited to, sports leagues, camps, college preparation courses, arts, music, and formative social experiences, can greatly contribute to a foster youth’s sense of normalcy, provide connections to supportive, caring adults, and increase the likelihood of a successful transition to adulthood.

SEC. 2.

Section 16007 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

16007.

(a) ~~The purpose of this section is to~~ On or before January 1, 2020, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the State Department of Social Services shall establish the California Foster Youth Enrichment Grant Pilot ~~Program, which will~~ Program to provide grants to foster youth to participate in activities that enhance their skills, abilities, self-esteem, or overall ~~well-being.~~ well-being, including, but not limited to, lessons in music, dance, or drama, school trips, college campus visits, test preparation courses or materials, summer camp attendance, sports league participation, school-sponsored formal dance attendance, and participation in school graduation activities, as well as other age-appropriate activities chosen by the foster youth.

(b)On or before March 1, 2020, the State Department of Social Services shall convene a workgroup composed of individuals and groups that represent the interests of foster youth. The workgroup shall include at least two foster youth and two resource parents. The workgroup shall develop an implementation plan to maximize the California Foster Youth Enrichment Grant Pilot Program’s impact.
(c)On or before January 1, 2021, upon appropriation by the Legislature and in consideration of the plan developed pursuant to subdivision (b), the State Department of Social Services shall establish the California Foster Youth Enrichment Grant Pilot Program to provide grants to qualified foster youth to enable the foster youth to participate in activities that enhance the foster youth’s skills, abilities, self-esteem, or overall well-being.
(d)The department shall conduct the pilot program in two rural counties and two urban counties. The department shall select these counties based on the highest need, which shall be defined by the workgroup.
(e)A grant shall be awarded to a foster youth who is in foster care under the placement and care responsibility of a county welfare department or county probation department, or an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization that has entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1.
(f)Grants awarded under this section shall be five hundred dollars ($500) or less. Grants shall be used to fund a program, service, or product, and any directly related costs, that provide any of the following to a foster youth:
~~(1)Skill development, including, but not limited to, lessons in music, dance, or drama, and the rental or purchase of equipment needed to further skill development.~~
(2)Academic or school-related assistance, including, but not limited to, school trips, college campus visits, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam fees, test preparation courses or materials, and books.
(3)Recreational or social participation, including, but not limited to, summer camp attendance, sports league participation, school-sponsored formal dance attendance, and participation in school graduation activities.
~~(g)Applications for grants under this section shall be on forms developed by the department, in consultation with the workgroup, and shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:~~
~~(1)A statement that the applicant meets the eligibility criterion specified in subdivision (e).~~
~~(2)A description of the proposed use of the grant and the anticipated cost of the program, product, or service.~~
(h)Within six months after a grant is awarded, the recipient shall submit copies of receipts showing the purchase of the program, product, or service, and payment of any directly related costs purchased with the grant. A foster youth shall not be eligible for a subsequent grant until all receipts are received.
(b) On or before July 1, 2020, the department shall allocate the funds appropriated to it for these purposes in the annual Budget Act to four county child welfare agencies that submit a two-year plan by a request for proposal developed by the department. The department shall select two rural counties and two urban counties to participate in the pilot program. In selecting the pilot counties, the department shall promote diversity among the participating counties in terms of size and geographic location and shall prioritize counties with high child poverty rates. For each year of the two-year pilot, the department shall allocate to the selected pilot counties five hundred dollars ($500) for each child or youth in care in the pilot counties on March 31, 2020.
(c) A child welfare agency shall indicate its interest in participating in the pilot program by submitting a two-year plan on or before May 1, 2020, which shall be developed in consultation with foster youth, resource parents, and other interested community parties and shall include all of the following:
(1) The county’s plan to conduct outreach to foster youth and resource parents regarding the availability of the grant, including, for example, outreach through child and family team meetings, independent living programs, and foster youth liaisons.
(2) The county’s plan to collaborate with tribes, consortia of tribes, or tribal organizations to ensure Indian children access funding through the pilot program.
(3) The county’s plan for disbursement of funds that maximizes the amount of funds disbursed.
(4) An accountability mechanism to ensure that grants are expended for extracurricular or enrichment activities. The accountability mechanism shall not include limiting grants to reimbursement for funds already expended.
(5) A statement that funds shall not be used to fund administrative activities associated with the pilot program.
(d) Pilot counties shall award grants of five hundred dollars ($500) or less to a foster child or youth who does both of the following:
(1) Requests the grant to fund an extracurricular or enrichment activity and any directly related costs.
(2) Submits an application containing a description of the proposed use of the grant and the anticipated cost of the activity and directly related costs.
(e) A resource parent may submit an application on behalf of a foster child or youth.
(f) A foster youth may receive a maximum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) annually through the pilot program.
(g) A county participating in the pilot program shall annually submit the following data to the State Department of Social Services:
(1) Data on the number of applications received and grants awarded, aggregated by year.
(2) Data on the activities and directly related costs the grants were used to fund, aggregated by year.
~~(i)~~

(h) (1) On or before ~~January 1, 2023,~~ October 1, 2022, the department shall submit a report to the Legislature that ~~addresses, at a minimum, all of the following:~~ includes the data submitted by participating counties.

~~(A)Data on the number of applications received, aggregated by year.~~
~~(B)Data on the number of grants awarded, aggregated by year.~~
~~(C)Data on the programs, products, or services, and directly related costs, the grants were used to fund, aggregated by year.~~
~~(D)Data on the number of recipients who provided the receipts required pursuant to subdivision (h) and who did not provide the receipts required by subdivision (h), aggregated by year.~~

(2) The report required pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(3) It is the intent of the Legislature to utilize the report required pursuant to paragraph (1) to evaluate options for continuing and expanding the program after December 31, ~~2023.~~ 2022.

~~(j)~~

(i) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, ~~2024,~~ 2023, and as of that date is repealed.