Opportunity Passport

Young people transitioning from foster care; specifically, young people 14-26 years old who have spent at least one day in foster care after their 14th birthday

The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative's Opportunity Passport^TM helps young people improve their financial capability when transitioning from foster care. The Opportunity Passport^TM includes financial education and support with establishing, maintaining, and growing a bank account; and, purchasing developmentally appropriate assets through matched savings opportunities. The financial resources assist young people meet their life goals with asset purchases such as vehicles, education, housing, health care, investment, credit building and microenterprise endeavors. Opportunity Passport^TM participants complete a baseline survey at enrollment and a bi-annual survey for the duration of their participation in the program to measure progress.

Todd Lloyd

• Agency/Affiliation: Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
• Department: Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Website: https://www.aecf.org/work/child-welfare/jim-casey-youth-opportunities-initiative/areas-of-expertise/opportunity-passport/
• Email: tlloyd@aecf.org
• Phone: (410) 547-3696

The goals of the Opportunity Passport^TM program are:

• Become financially capable
• Gain experience with the banking system
• Amass assets for education, housing, transportation, and other developmentally appropriate specified purchases

The essential elements of Opportunity Passport^TM include:

• Young people are engaged in the design, delivery and continuous improvement of the program, and young people are paid a stipend for their participation in aspects of program implementation.
• Young people are provided financial education.
• Young people are assisted in opening a bank account.
• Upon completion of the first 3 of 7 modules of financial education, young people are provided a stipend as seed money for bank accounts.
• Young people have access to an adult who will support them through the program.
• Young people are provided asset specific training to support effective purchase and use of asset(s).
• Young people may also be provided financial coaching or counseling.
• Implementation and outcome data are collected from staff and young people on regular basis. Data is regularly analyzed by providers and young people in a continuous improvement process. Decisions are guided by these data.

Child/Adolescent Services

Opportunity Passport directly provides services to children and addresses the following:

• Young people between the ages of 14-26 who need financial education, experience with banking system, skills to save money and purchase asset(s), knowledge about maintaining assets, and connections to opportunities for employment, housing, education, social capital, health, permanence, and financial capability

Recommended Intensity

The recommended intensity varies based on how and when financial education and asset training are delivered; whether financial coaching and/or counseling is delivered and other supports and resources young people may need to be connected to in order to effectively participate. There is outreach to young people to take bi-annual survey and attend social events that provide access to computers so young people can take the web-enabled survey.

Recommended Duration

There is no specified length of participation. Young people may be enrolled up to their 26th birthday. Young people may purchase assets up to the match limit of $3,000 yet reaching this limit does not require young person to exit.

Delivery Settings

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Community Daily Living Setting
• Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider

Homework

This program does not include a homework component.

Languages

Opportunity Passport has materials available in the following languages other than English:

• Spanish

For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed in this page).

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• Personnel-outreach to young people, establish relationships with bank(s), recruit financial coachers, teach financial education and asset trainings, and perform data management and analysis
• Space to run classes/training, meetings for young people, and social events where laptops are available to encourage young people to take surveys

Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

There are no standard minimum qualifications.

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Training Contact

Training Type/Location:

Informal telephone consultation and a variety of publications supporting young people transitioning from foster care are available.

Number of days/hours:

Informal telephone consultation available.

• Note: The following study was not included in rating Opportunity Passport on the Scientific Rating Scale.

  Peters, C. M., Sherraden, M., & Kuchinski, A. M. (2016). Growing financial assets for foster youths: Expanded child welfare responsibilities, policy conflict, and caseworker role tension. Social Work, 61(4), 340–348. https://doi-org.libproxy.sdsu.edu/10.1093/sw/sww042

  Summary:

  The purpose of the study was to explore the role child welfare workers play in elevating the financial capability (FC) of foster youths transitioning to adulthood. It draws on an examination of Opportunity Passport, a component of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative (JCYOI), which operates across the United States. Participants received the Opportunity Passport intervention across four JCYOI sites. Measures utilized include structured interviews. Results indicate that (a) program participants require professional financial assistance that is beyond the role of the traditional child welfare caseworker; (b) caseworkers who address FC in young adults face uncertainty in their roles; and (c) broader policies relevant to young adults transitioning to adulthood exhibit tension, if not conflict, regarding enhancing FC. Limitations include the small sample size, lack of a control group, and the selected sites are not representative of all the JCYOI sites in operation. Note: This article was not used in the rating process due to the lack of a control group.

• Note: The following study was not included in rating Opportunity Passport on the Scientific Rating Scale.

  Poirier, J. M., Wilkie, S., Sepulveda, K., & Uruchima, T. (2018). Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative: Experiences and outcomes of youth who are LGBTQ. Child Welfare, 96(1), 1–26. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48628033

  Summary:

  The purpose of the study was to focus on experiences and outcomes for young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or are questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity (LGBTQ), particularly those who were also of color, who participated in the Jim Casey Initiative’s Opportunity Passport™ program, which helps build the financial capability of young people in foster care to ensure they know how to earn, manage, and save as they transition into adulthood. Participants received the Opportunity Passport intervention across 17 treatment sites. Sub-groups were created using racial/ethnic identity, as well as sexual orientation and gender identity. Outcomes were compared to 1) Youth who were White and LGBTQ, 2) Young people of color who were straight and cisgender, and 3) Young people of color who were LGBTQ. Measures utilized include the Opportunity Passport Participant Surveys (OPPS) and administrative data. Results indicate that systems have not achieved the same level of outcomes for participants who are LGBTQ as they have for their peers who are straight and cisgender in several key areas, including permanency, housing stability, financial capability, social capital, and health. Limitations include that the findings cannot be generalized to the broader population of youth who are transition-aged and have experienced foster care, potential implementation differences at the Opportunity Passport site level, and lack of a non-treatment control group. Note: This article was not used in the rating process due to the lack of a control group.

• Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2017). The economic well-being of youth transitioning from foster care. Opportunity Passport participant survey results show employment helps many thrive. Retrieved from https://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-theeconomicwellbeingofyouth-2017.pdf

• Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. (2014). Building financial capability for young people in foster care. Retrieved from https://www.aecf.org/resources/building-financial-capability-for-youth-transitioning-from-foster-care.

• Peters, C, Sherraden, M., Kuchinski, AM (2012). Enduring assets: Findings from a study on the financial lives of young people transitioning from foster care. Retrieved from http://www.aecf.org/resources/enduring-assets