Partners in Opportunity

Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty for low-income children by helping their families access housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods with excellent public schools. We combine this with a two-year springboard of wraparound support through four core programs. Our model is rooted in research showing that when families move from high-poverty areas to neighborhoods with strong schools, children experience significantly better outcomes—higher test scores, improved mental health, and 3–4x greater lifetime earnings. We work solely with families who have Section 8 housing vouchers. These vouchers can be used in nearly any neighborhood in the DFW area due to high payment standards. However, landlords in high-opportunity areas often reject them—94% say no—due to stigma or logistical concerns. We change that by building partnerships with these landlords, who still receive full market rent, and helping them see the life-changing impact they can make. Once families move, we continue to support them through our four core programs for two years, helping parents stabilize and children thrive in their new schools.

• College Readiness Program – We rigorously monitor the academic progress of children in the program to ensure that they are on a college-ready trajectory, while equipping parents with the tools and coaching to support learning at home and to help them become effective advocates for their children’s academic development.
• Opportunity Coach Program – Our staff meets one-on-one with parents to help them set and achieve goals across key domains of stability including finances, education, employment, childcare, and transportation, and connecting them to relevant resources and referral partners as needed.
• Mentorship Program – To complement the structured coaching that they receive from our staff, and to provide them with an additional layer of support and accountability, we aim to pair every parent in the program with a volunteer Mentor.
• Community Program – We help families build a support system in their new community, secure scholarships to provide access to after-school and summer enrichment programs, and organize small group get-togethers for parents in the program to help them build community.

The outcomes are life-changing. Among families who have been in the program at least six months, full-time employment has more than tripled, average wages have risen by nearly 45%, and reliable transportation has become the norm rather than the exception. Families are moving from low-performing school zones into neighborhoods with some of the best public schools in the region, and graduates remain in these high-opportunity areas long after leaving the program. Parents overwhelmingly report progress toward their goals and confidence that their children will succeed in college and beyond.