Enduring Impacts of Child Development Accounts: Increased Parental Expectations and College Preparation

Parental educational expectations exert a substantial influence on children’s educational achievement. Elevated parental expectations can move families to prepare for a child’s education beyond high school, both by intentional planning and financial steps to increase the likelihood of attending higher education. This Research Brief explores findings from a detailed study of long-term positive impacts of Child Development Accounts on parental educational expectations and college preparation. Drawing upon analyses of the pre-COVID data collected in 2020 as part of Wave 3 of the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, the brief highlight effects sustained over 13 years. A full reporting of the results may be found in Sun and colleagues (2025), “The Long-Term Impacts of Child Development Accounts on Parental Educational Expectations and College Preparation,” Social Service Review, 99(2), 326–363. https://doi.org/10.1086/735543.