These children’s savings account programs would be supported by state and community organized parental engagement, business and philanthropic investments in incentives, and financial education in schools coupled with bank-in-school programs.
In jurisdictions where such savings programs exist, schools can begin to add discussion of such accounts into the curriculum. This increases the effectiveness of existing financial education programs by integrating hands-on account usage, ensuring knowledge and skills are retained longer and build a better foundation of financial habits. There are a range of promising, emerging models like a pilot program tested in Wisconsin and Texas called Assessing Financial Capability Outcomes. This program demonstrated financial education can improve student knowledge of and attitudes toward saving while those with access to banking in school were more likely to have and use a savings account. Even modest deposit levels and incentives can have drive positive behavior especially when paired with parental engagement and partnerships with local financial institutions.