Preparing Children For Success: Parents’ Perspectives On Promoting Savings And Education

Many states are implementing asset development strategies to promote postsecondary education for lowto moderateincome families, realizing that limited education is a powerful predictor of poverty, and poverty mediates the likelihood of obtaining postsecondary education. Using demographic and qualitative data collected from two groups of lowto moderate-income parents (N = 24), this article highlights two programs that promote savings and increase post-secondary education for these children and families. The 21st Century Scholars Program targets youths, and the complementary Educational Development Accounts program targets their parents. This article also explores perspectives of the participants’ experiences, beliefs, and perceptions relative to savings and education and the success of their children in these areas. It concludes with implications for asset-building programs and policy whose aim is to assist lowto moderateincome families in achieving economic and educational mobility and implications for social welfare policy. Yvette Murphy-Erby1, Leah Hamilton1, Marcia Shobe1, Kameri Christy1, Elena HamptonStover1, and Shikkiah Jordan1, (2014). "Preparing Children For Success: Parents’ Perspectives On Promoting Savings And Education." Journal of Family Issues, 2014, Vol. 35(9) 1177–1199. DOI: 10.1177/0192513X13490398. Version of Record available at: http:// journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0192513X13490398 Journal of Family Issues 2014, Vol. 35(9) 1177 –1199 © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0192513X13490398 jfi.sagepub.com Article Preparing Children for Success: Parents’ Perspectives on Promoting Savings and Education Yvette Murphy-Erby1, Leah Hamilton1, Marcia Shobe1, Kameri Christy1, Elena HamptonStover1, and Shikkiah Jordan1 Abstract Many states are implementing asset development strategies to promote postsecondary education for lowto moderate-income families, realizing that limited education is a powerful predictor of poverty, and poverty mediates the likelihood of obtaining postsecondary education. Using demographic and qualitative data collected from two groups of lowto moderate-income parents (N = 24), this article highlights two programs that promote savings and increase post-secondary education for these children and families. The 21st Century Scholars Program targets youths, and the complementary Educational Development Accounts program targets their parents. This article also explores perspectives of the participants’ experiences, beliefs, and perceptions relative to savings and education and the success of their children in these areas. It concludes with implications for asset-building programs and policy whose aim is to assist lowto moderate-income families in achieving economic and educational mobility and implications for social welfare policy.Many states are implementing asset development strategies to promote postsecondary education for lowto moderate-income families, realizing that limited education is a powerful predictor of poverty, and poverty mediates the likelihood of obtaining postsecondary education. Using demographic and qualitative data collected from two groups of lowto moderate-income parents (N = 24), this article highlights two programs that promote savings and increase post-secondary education for these children and families. The 21st Century Scholars Program targets youths, and the complementary Educational Development Accounts program targets their parents. This article also explores perspectives of the participants’ experiences, beliefs, and perceptions relative to savings and education and the success of their children in these areas. It concludes with implications for asset-building programs and policy whose aim is to assist lowto moderate-income families in achieving economic and educational mobility and implications for social welfare policy. 1University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA Corresponding Author: Yvette Murphy-Erby, School of Social Work, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. Email: [email protected] 490398 JFI35910.1177/0192513X13490398Journal of Family IssuesMurphy-Erby et al. research-article2013