Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced legislation Thursday that is set to provide extracurricular activity funding for foster youth.

Senate Bill 219 is intended to make foster youth eligible to receive up to $500 dollars for enrichment and extracurricular activities, according to Wilk’s office.

“California ranks 36th in the nation among states in overall child well-being. When one looks at overall well-being of foster youth, the stats are even bleaker,” said Wilk. “One-third of all foster youth never finish high school or get a GED. Giving these kids every opportunity to succeed was the intent behind this bill.”

The grant is set to allow foster youth to engage in activities such as sports, arts, music, dance, theater, STEM programs and graduation activities.

“The grant would allow the kids to put themselves in an environment with other healthy people,” said Gina Stevens, program director and co-founder of Foster Youth Independence. “Having money to do extracurricular activities would put them in an area to do things more productively.”

This year, the Youth Law Center released a study that found participation in extracurricular activities is linked to young people building resilience, improving self-efficacy and even counteracting the harmful effects of trauma.

Not only are these activities set to enhance the lives of foster youth, but they also can provide youth with a robust resume when applying for secondary education, as well as help close the achievement gap for students in foster care, according to officials.

“Extracurricular and enrichment activities provide such a benefit to foster youth that in 2001, the legislature added the engagement in those activities to what is considered the Bill of Rights for all foster youth,” Wilk said. “It’s clear our California foster youth needs to be a priority this year.”

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