Brown School honors Clancy with 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award Passion and patience. Margaret Clancy has devoted a generous dose of each during her 24-year career with the Center for Social Development (CSD) in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. They have paid off not only for her career, but for millions of […]
Clancy testifies before Nebraska lawmakers about Child Development Accounts
Center for Social Development Policy Director Margaret Clancy testified Tuesday before the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee. The subject: Child Development Account policy and research results.
Margaret M. Clancy
CSD Policy Director,
Director of College Savings Initiative and SEED for Oklahoma Kids
Kazakhstan launches CDA policy informed by CSD research
Under the new policy, every child in the Central Asian nation is receiving an account with assets from natural-resource wealth.
Informed by CSD research, 401Kids Act introduced in U.S. Senate
On Wednesday, January 31, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania introduced federal legislation to create a national children’s account policy. The 401Kids Act is designed to empower all children, and particularly children from disadvantaged households, by providing a means for them to accumulate assets for developmental priorities like higher education.
Parents’ views of universal asset-building policies for children
A new study captures parents’ perspectives on the influence that Child Development Accounts can exert over children’s educational attainment and parental saving for children’s higher education. Successful policymaking depends on public support. In policies affecting children, parents’ understanding and opinions matter. A new study from Center for Social Development researchers Jin Huang, Sondra G. Beverly, […]
Parental Views on Universal Asset-Building Policy for All Children
Huang, J., Beverly, S. G., Clancy, M. M., & Sherraden, M. (2023). Parental views on universal asset-building policy for all children. Child & Family Social Work. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13103
My Alfond Grant CDA: Experience From 10 Years of Automatic Deposits for All Maine Newborns
Quint, C. J., & Clancy, M. M. (2023, June). My Alfond Grant CDA: Experience From 10 years of automatic deposits for all Maine newborns (CSD Policy Brief No. 23-19). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/9tx1-hf90
The Future of Building Wealth: Research, Policy & Action
October 11, 2022, 2:00–5:00 PM (CST)
California launches nation’s largest Child Development Account policy
The state enrolls 3.4 million children in CalKIDs, which CSD experts helped to shape. Today Governor Gavin Newsom publicly launched CalKIDS, the California Kids Investment and Development Savings program. With 3.4 million children in the first cohort of enrollees and more than $1.8 billion in assets, CalKIDS leaves the starting gate as the nation’s largest […]
Child Development Accounts expand resources for higher education
New research from the Center for Social Development shows that a children’s account policy reduces obstacles to higher education. As the cost of higher education continues to grow, families in the United States struggle to save enough for children’s education. State 529 college savings plans are investment vehicles that assist families in meeting this need, […]
Financial Facts: SEED OK Child Development Accounts at Age 14
Clancy, M. M., Beverly, S. G., Schreiner, M., Huang, J., & Sherraden, M. (2022, June). Financial facts: SEED OK Child Development Accounts at age 14 (CSD Fact Sheet No. 22-20). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/13ge-kt42
Policy Design for Child Development Accounts: Parents’ Perceptions
Beverly, S. G., Huang, J., Clancy, M. M., & Sherraden, M. (2022, January). Policy design for Child Development Accounts: Parents’ perceptions (CSD Research Brief No. 22-03). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/nbdq-xa08
Targeted Deposits in Pennsylvania’s Keystone Scholars Child Development Account Program
DeCecco, A., Peachey, J., & Clancy, M. M. (2021, November). Targeted deposits in Pennsylvania’s Keystone Scholars Child Development Account program (CSD Policy Brief No. 21-36). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/5qg9-4191
Transforming 529 College Savings Plans: Grow Assets for Everyone, Grow the Country
Sherraden, M., & Clancy, M. M. (2021). Transforming 529 college savings plans: grow assets for everyone, grow the country. In R. Boshara & I. Rademacher (Eds.), The future of building wealth: Brief essays on the best ideas to build wealth—for everyone (pp. 251–257). Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis & Aspen Institute. https://futureofwealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sec-5.pdf
Asset Building: Toward Inclusive Policy
Sherraden, M., Johnson, L., Clancy, M. M., Beverly, S. G., Sherraden, M. S., Schreiner, M., Elliott, W., III, Williams Shanks, T. R., Adams, D., Curley, J., Huang, J., Grinstein-Weiss, M., Nam, Y., Zhan, M., & Han, C. K. (2021, September 29). Asset building: Toward inclusive policy. In C. Franklin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of social work. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.25
Prominent Child Development Account experts outline a nationwide policy
A group of experts and researchers is making the case for a nationwide Child Development Account (CDA) policy. The group, which includes CSD Founding Director Michael Sherraden and Policy Director Margaret Clancy, recently released the outline in a pair of CDA policy briefs. The briefs are entitled “The Case for a Nationwide Child Development Account […]
The Case for a Nationwide Child Development Account Policy: A Policy Brief Developed by CDA Experts and Researchers
Cisneros, J., Clancy, M. M., Elliott, W., III, Feinstein, A., Kanter, M., Karcher-Ramos, M., Kugler, C., Peachey, J., Quint, C., Shapiro, T. M., & Sherraden, M. (2021, August). The case for a nationwide Child Development Account policy: A policy brief developed by CDA experts and researchers (CSD Policy Brief No. 21-20). Washington University, Center for Social Development.
Redesigning College Savings (529) Plans to Achieve Inclusive Child Development Accounts: A Policy Brief Developed by CDA Experts and Researchers
Cisneros, J., Clancy, M. M., Elliott, W., III, Feinstein, A., Kanter, M., Karcher-Ramos, M., Kugler, C., Peachey, J., Quint, C., Shapiro, T. M., & Sherraden, M. (2021, August). Redesigning college savings (529) plans to achieve inclusive Child Development Accounts: A policy brief developed by CDA experts and researchers (CSD Policy Brief No. 21-21). Washington University, Center for Social Development.
Asset Building and Child Development: A Policy Model for Inclusive Child Development Accounts
Huang, J., Sherraden, M., Clancy, M. M., Beverly, S. G., Shanks, T. R., & Kim, Y. (2021). Asset building and child development: A policy model for inclusive Child Development Accounts. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 7(3), 176–195. https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2021.7.3.08
New research: Child Development Accounts generate assets, positive outlook, and parental investments
New research from the Center for Social Development (CSD) shows that parents of newborns with Child Development Accounts (CDAs) respond by deepening their commitment to the child’s higher education and their own efforts to save for that education. The findings come from two newly released publications: a research summary of account and savings data from […]
Financial Outcomes in a Child Development Account Experiment: Full Inclusion, Success Regardless of Race or Income, and Investment Growth for All
Clancy, M. M., Beverly, S. G., Schreiner, M., Huang, J., & Sherraden, M. (2021). Financial outcomes in a Child Development Account experiment: Full inclusion, success regardless of race or income, investment growth for all (CSD Research Summary 21-06). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/fnjg-n539
A Long-Term Experiment on Child Development Accounts: Update and Impacts of SEED for Oklahoma Kids
Huang, J., Beverly, S. G., Clancy, M. M., Schreiner, M., & Sherraden, M. (2021). A long-term experiment on Child Development Accounts: Update and impacts of SEED for Oklahoma Kids (CSD Research Report No. 21-07).
Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/e8mf-p262
Insights From State Treasurers: Developing and Implementing Statewide Child Development Account Policies
Leiker, C., Clancy, M. M., & Sherraden, M. (2020, October). Insights from state treasurers: Developing and implementing statewide Child Development Account policies (CSD Policy Summary No. 20-19). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/14tc-2b43
Strategies for fostering full inclusion, building statewide CDA policies, and engaging communities among highlights at conference
What would it take to ensure that every child in every state has an account accumulating assets for education beyond high school? How would those assets shape the children and their families? State officials, researchers, nonprofit leaders, program managers, and funders gathered July 16 to take up those questions.
Child Development Accounts Improve Parenting Practices, Particularly for Financially Vulnerable Families
Huang, J., Beverly, S. G., Clancy, M. M., & Sherraden, M. (2020, August). Child Development Accounts improve
parenting practices, particularly for financially vulnerable families (CSD Research Brief No. 20-15).
St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.
Navigating Research during a Pandemic: Pioneering Study of Child Development Accounts Successfully Gathers Crucial Data
Thirteen years after they began, researchers in a landmark study of asset building in Oklahoma are poised to receive new information gathered despite obstacles posed by COVID-19.
All Children Can Reach Their Potential: A CDA Conference
Thursday, July 16, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT, Virtual Conference
A Lesson from the Great Recession: Child Development Accounts Can Work in the Wake of COVID-19
The report summarizes findings and recommendations from CDA research to inform policymakers and practitioners operating or considering CDAs in the midst of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
Child Development Accounts in the COVID-19 Crisis: Lessons from the Great Recession
Sherraden, M., Clancy, M. M., Huang, J., & Beverly, S. G. (2020). Child Development Accounts in the COVID-19 crisis: Lessons from the Great Recession (CSD Research and Policy Report No. 20-11). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/c5dg-qz60
New Book Charts Global Progress of Child Development Accounts
Nearly 30 years after the publication of Michael Sherraden’s seminal Assets and the Poor, Child Development Account (CDA) policies and programs are emerging across the globe. Now, a new book edited by Jin Huang, Li Zou and Sherraden showcases the global context of those advancements.
Center for Social Development study nominated for “Best Paper” award
A study from the Center for Social Development’s SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment has been nominated for an award given to the best paper published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
2019 Media
This holiday season, give kids the gift they don’t know they wantIdaho State Journal, December 20, 2019 The community in which consumer debtor lawyers resideCredit Slips, December 18, 2019 St. Paul set to kickstart a college savings account for every newbornMinnPost, December 12, 2019 Even if your child is just a few years away from […]
Missouri considers a Child Development Account for every newborn
CSD research and expertise shape proposal for a universal policy in the Show-Me state.
Missouri coalition sets sights on Child Development Accounts for all state newborns
An expanding partnership is pursuing legislation for Missouri children in 2020.
Developments in the Fight for Fair, Affordable Housing in the St. Louis Region
The fight for fair and affordable housing has new momentum in one of the nation’s most segregated metropolitan areas.
Essential Policy Design Elements for Statewide Child Development Accounts
Clancy, M. M., Sherraden, M., & Beverly, S. G. (2019, December). Essential policy design elements for statewide Child Development Accounts (CSD Fact Sheet No. 19-47). St. Louis MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/1rvq-dy43
Child Development Accounts at Scale: Sample State Legislation
Clancy, M. M., Sherraden, M., & Beverly, S. G. (2019, November). Child Development Accounts at scale: Sample state legislation (CSD Policy Summary No. 19-46). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/cptg-2n77
Statewide Child Development Accounts and Local Partnerships: A Scalable Model that Can Include All Children
Clancy, M. M., & Sherraden, M., Huang, J., Beverly, S. G., & Kim, Y. (2019, November). Statewide Child Development Accounts and Local Partnerships: A Scalable Model that Can Include All Families. (CSD Policy Brief No. 19-45). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/q310-7h95
Financially Vulnerable Families Reap Multiple Benefits From Child Development Accounts
Huang, J., Beverly, S. G., Kim, Y., Clancy, M. M., & Sherraden, M. (2019, October). Financially vulnerable families reap multiple benefits from Child Development Accounts (CSD Research Brief No. 19-40). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.
California Amendments Create Universal, At-Birth Child Development Account Policy
Amendments enacted on Wednesday, October 2, will affect all newborn children in California. The state became the third this year to adopt a universal, at-birth Child Development Account (CDA) policy.
Illinois Approves Child Development Accounts for All Newborns
Illinois became the most recent state in the U.S. to adopt universal Child Development Accounts on August 23, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation to open a 529 college savings plan account with deposits for every child born or adopted in Illinois after Dec. 31, 2020.
Nebraska Approves Universal, At-Birth CDA Policy
Nebraska’s legislature today approved a universal Child Development Account (CDA) policy that will cover every resident born in the state on or after January 1, 2020.
Special issue highlights Child Development Accounts globally
Child Development Accounts take center stage in a newly released special issue of the Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development. The sweeping, seven-article issue shows the global context of the emerging asset-building policy. “Many countries are exploring new policy innovations that encourage asset building,” said Michael Sherraden, who co-edited the issue and co-authored […]
Special Issue | Inclusive Child Development Accounts: Toward Universality and Progressivity
Huang, J., Zou, L., & Sherraden, M. (Eds.). (2019). Inclusive child development accounts: Toward universality and progressivity [Special issue]. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 29(1).
A Bill to Create the Bright Futures Plan Task Force: Testimony on H.B. 2389 Before the House Education Committee, Oregon State Legislature
Sherraden, M., & Clancy, M. M. (2019, March). A bill to create the Bright Futures Plan Task Force: Testimony on H.B. 2389 before the House Education Committee, Oregon State Legislature (CSD Testimony No. 19-09). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/zb67-p268
CSD begins third phase of research on Child Development Accounts
With financial support from philanthropists, the Center for Social Development is conducting a third wave of research on Child Development Accounts (CDAs) in the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan. Wave 3 of the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment expands the original CDA with an automatic, progressive deposit and extends the research to examine […]
SEED for Oklahoma Kids Wave 3: Extending Rigorous Research and a Successful Policy Model
Clancy, M. M., Sherraden, M., & Beverly, S. G. (2019, March). SEED for Oklahoma Kids Wave 3: Extending Rigorous Research and a Successful Policy Model (CSD Research Brief No. 19-06). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/zx2j-0543
The Meadowlark Scholarship Act: Testimony on L.B. 544 Before the Education Committee, 106th Nebraska Legislature
Clancy, M. M. (2019). The Meadowlark Scholarship Act: Testimony on L.B. 544 before the Education Committee, 106th Nebraska Legislature (CSD Testimony No. 19-03). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/683w-bn26
Impacts of Child Development Accounts on Parenting Practices: Evidence from a Randomised Statewide Experiment
Huang, J., Nam, Y., Sherraden, M., & Clancy, M. M. (2019). Impacts of child development accounts on parenting practices: evidence from a randomised statewide experiment. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 29(1), 34–47. doi:10.1080/02185385.2019.1575270