Condition Cash Transfer Programs for Vulnerable Youth : Brazil's Youth Agent and Youth Action Programs

This article focuses on how Conditional Cash Transfer Programs (CCTs) can improve the lives of vulnerable youth. CCTs aim at reducing poverty and improve human capital development by giving cash to selected beneficiaries with the requirement that they fulfill certain conditions such as attending school regularly. The article provides an overview of CCT programs globally and then turns to implementation of two specific CCT programs in Brazil, the Youth Agent (Agente Jovem) and the Youth Action (Ação Jovem) in the city of Campinas, Brazil. These “complementary" CCT programs have been designed to address the needs of the youth after they “graduate" from other social assistance programs. Benefits and challenges will be discussed from the perspective of the municipal administration. While these experiences may not be fully replicated elsewhere, the example of these programs may contribute to the knowledge on how CCT types of programs can be a useful tool for governments to make education and training more affordable, with the aim of helping vulnerable youth escape risky environments, achieve social inclusion, and attain economic independence.