Policy Design for Child Development Accounts: Parents’ Perceptions

In the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, which features of Child Development Account (CDA) policy do study participants perceive as important for increasing the number of children who earn a college degree or trade school certificate? Which features do participants view as important for encouraging parents to save for their children’s postsecondary education?

This brief presents findings from a 2020 survey of parents in the experiment, when their children were about 13 years old. Results are for 1,666 parents (those whose children received the CDA in SEED OK and those whose children did not) and for subgroups defined by household income, mother’s race, and mother’s education. In addition to identifying several policy features deemed important for postsecondary attainment and parental saving, the findings may suggest a path toward a nationwide CDA policy.

Project: SEED for Oklahoma  Kids (SEED OK)