Promising Practices for Supporting Youth
Transitions to Economic Independence
Presented by Gary Stangler
Executive Director
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
Our Mission
The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is a major national effort to help youth in foster care make successful transitions to adulthood. We
bring together the people and resources to help youth achieve permanency and economic
success.
Our History
The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative was created in June, 2001 by two of the leading foundations that work with children and families—the Annie E. Casey Foundation (based in Baltimore, MD) and Casey Family Programs (based in Seattle, WA).
We are named for the founder of the United Parcel Service (UPS), Jim Casey. Mr. Casey had the vision to help establish these foundations that assist in the betterment of disadvantaged young people and families throughout this country.
The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is based in St. Louis, MO.
Marguerite1900-1987
Henry J. (Harry)1890-1992
George A.1893-1957
James E.1888-1983
Henry J. Casey1849-1902
Annie E. Sheehan1867-1962
The Casey Family Connections
Jim CaseyYouth Opportunities Initiative
(2001)
10/27/04
Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Grant Making (1948) • Casey Family Services (1976)• The Casey Center (2001)
Casey Family Programs
• Direct Services (1966)• Enterprise Opportunities (2000)
Marguerite Casey Foundation
• Grant Making (2001)
Youth Outcomes
Employment: obtaining/retaining jobs with sufficient income and benefits for self-support
Education: obtaining a high school diploma or completing education/training that leads to steady employment
Health: obtaining sufficient and affordable health insurance
Housing: obtaining/retaining safe, stable, conveniently located and affordable housing
Personal and community engagement: increased supportive social attachments, and responsible participation in community activities
PERMANENCY IS THE GOAL!
System Partners
Community Partnership Boards
The board’s primary role is developing opportunities for youth in all outcome areas
The board operationalizes the Opportunity Passport™
The Community Partnership Board must include youth and young adults as full decision-makers
Strategies of Change
Strategies to create opportunities
• actively engage young people in developing and advocating for opportunities
• involve systems partners, both public and private in creating these opportunities
• direct research and communications efforts at documenting results and identifying and disseminating best practice
• galvanize public will and policy to better focus on needed reforms
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Initiative Sites
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Atlanta, GA Denver, CO Des Moines, IA Jacksonville, FL Kansas City, MO/KS Michigan Nashville, TN San Antonio, TXHartford, CT Maine Providence, RI San Diego, CA
13 Core Brand Sites Tampa, FL
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Youth Engagement
Youth Leadership Boards are established in every community
The young people who serve on them are provided with support and training in youth leadership, personal and strategic planning, communications, and other skills
Members will advocate for greater responsiveness in the foster care system to the needs and desires of youth
The organizing tool that actualizes our
Theory of Change is the Opportunity Passport™.
Opportunity Passport™
Opportunity Passport™
The Opportunity Passport™ is a tool designed to organize resources to
create opportunities—financial, educational, vocational, health care,
entrepreneurial, and recreational opportunities—for young people
leaving foster care
Opportunity Passport™
Goals
To help youth leaving foster carebecome financially literategain experience with the banking
systemamass assets for education, housing,
health care, and a few other specified expenses
gain streamlined entry to educational, training and vocational opportunities
Opportunity Passport™
Opportunity Passport™: Three Components
Matched savings account – Individual Development Account
Debit account – personal debit account Door openers – our term for a host of
other opportunities to be designed locally
All three components are linked.
Opportunity Passport™
Participant Eligibility 14 – 23 years old
Been in the public child welfare foster care system at the age of
14 Successfully completed financial
literacy training Agree to all participation
requirements Sign Opportunity PassportTM
participant agreement
Savings and Assets
Almost all Opportunity Passport™ participants showed deposit activity.
Most individual savings plans call for monthly deposits, but on average deposits are made 4 out of 12 months (one third of the time). Atlanta and Des Moines, however, average half of the time (6 out of 12 months).
“Targets” of individual savings plan average $34 per month, but actual deposits average $17 per month.
When participants do make deposits, they meet their targets two out of three times.
Saving differences between males and females are negligible.
Savings and Assets
Vehicles were by far the most common asset purchased, confirming our assumption that cars would be the most powerful driver of savings behavior.
$139,012 was used to purchase 107 assets. For two thirds of the withdrawals, the money was for
immediate needs, not assets. One in three withdrawals from savings accounts drew
the matching funds for approved assets (34%). By comparison, 32% of the withdrawals drew the
matching funds in the National IDA demonstration projects.
Savings and AssetsComparison of Opportunity Passport ™ Individual Development Accounts (IDA) with the American Dream Demonstration (ADD) national IDA evaluation
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities
Initiative
ADDJuly 1997–June
2000
ADDJuly 1997–Dec
2001
% Matched Withdrawal 34% 13% 32%
Average Monthly Deposit $17 $25 $19
Frequency of Deposits
4 deposits every
12 months
7 deposits every 12 months
6 deposits every 12 months
Average Value of Matched
Withdrawal$650 N/A $878
Source of Data
“Cross-Site Interim Report: A Point-in Time Analysis for Sites in Implementation December
2002 – March 2005”
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
American Dream Demonstration, 2000
2,378 IDAs in 14 programs
American Dream Demonstration, 2001
Final Report
2,364 IDAs in 14 programs
Cross-Site Report: Overview Baseline indicator findings:
• 723 Opportunity Passport™ participants • Status at enrollment• Five outcome areas
Information derived from Initiative-developed data collection tools
Grantees in implementation in 2004: • Atlanta• Des Moines• Kansas City• Maine• Michigan (two sites)• Nashville
Complements June 2005 report - findings examine implementation of strategies across sites
Cross-Site Report: Opportunity Passport™ Participants
Summary Average age is 18 Most are females Majority are either Caucasian or African-American Most are in foster care Most are in some kind of school One third have a HS diploma or GED Just under one half are employed Most of the employed are in school Many not in school are unemployed
Cross-Site Report: Demographic Characteristics of Opportunity Passport™ Participants
Age-Gender Population Pyramid
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%16%
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Age
% of Total Population
1.3%
5.3%
9.4%
12.5%
14.2%
9.0%
4.9%
3.2%
2.1%
0.3%
1.7%
2.4%
6.1%
6.5%
10.4%
5.6%
3.3%
1.0%
0.6%
0.4%
Females Males
Cross-Site Report: Demographic Characteristics of Opportunity Passport™ Participants
Cross-Site Report Findings from Baseline Indicators
Personal and Community Engagement• 90% could access information and resources in
the community
• Approximately two-thirds had at least one adult in the community they could go to for • emotional support (66%) or
• job, school advice or guidance (72%)
Cross-Site Report Findings from Baseline Indicators
Education• 78% were enrolled in some kind of school • 37% had a high school diploma or GED
• Of those that had a high school diploma or GED, 66% were enrolled in or had completed post-secondary education
• Of those enrolled in school• 47% were enrolled in high school• 34% had part-time job(s)
• Of those out of school• 71% had a high school diploma or GED • 13% had worked 40 hours per week for 6 months or more• 46% were unemployed• 93% of the employed were earning federal minimum wage
or greater • 66% were not receiving any form of public assistance
Cross-Site Report Findings from Baseline Indicators
Employment• 44% are employed
• Of those employed
• 74% were in school, 26% were not enrolled in any school
• 25% were employed full-time, 75% were employed part-time
• Of those employed full-time, 54% were enrolled in school
• Of those employed part-time, 81% were enrolled in school
• Of those employed full-time
• 75% had a high school diploma or GED
• 85% of those employed who were not currently enrolled in school had a high school diploma or GED
• 65% of those employed who were enrolled in some kind of school had a high school diploma or GED
Cross-Site Report Findings from Baseline Indicators
Housing• 12% of those out of school had housing that is
safe, stable and affordable, and located near public transportation, work or school
Physical and Mental Health• 77% had health insurance
• Of those that had health insurance, 48% also had mental health benefits
Youth Economic Success:Employment
Cross Site Analysis
Indicator #1-For young people in school: Number of young people that participate in one or more work-related learning/work experiences
Indicator #2-For young people in school: Number that obtain one or more part time jobs while in school.
Indicator #3-For young people out of school: Number that worked 40 hours per week for a duration of 6 months or more.
Indicator #4-For young people out of school: Number of young people living above the federal poverty line.
Youth Economic Success:Employment
Baseline Indicator Analysis:
For young people out of school, a small percentage (13% or 20 young adults) have worked for 40 hours per week for a duration of six months or more.
Two-thirds (66%) of the participants who are out of school are not receiving any form of public assistance
93% of the employed participants who are out of school are earning federal minimum wage or greater.
Education and employment relationships:
74% of youth employed were still enrolled in school; Of those employed part-time, 81% were enrolled in school Of those employed full-time, 54% were enrolled in school