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

..

.

.

..

.

.

...

Initiative Sites

.

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

.

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