Support Early Bird with your gift today, and empower a child to dream big and change the world!

The Problem

Nearly 40 percent of children in Austin, Texas live in or near poverty.i Children in poverty are less healthy, less likely to pursue education after high school and more likely to have low incomes as adults. Post-secondary education is increasingly important to finding a job in the U.S. and moving out of poverty. However, only 12 out of 100 low-income Central Texas students complete a four-year degree within six years of finishing high school.ii Many low-income young adults never start a higher education degree program because of its perceived unaffordability.iii

The Opportunity 

At least 80 percent of Americans’ health challenges are due to factors unrelated to medical care, such as poverty, housing, and lack of access to high-quality education.iv  Integrating an educational scholarship program for low-income children into the healthcare system is an innovative way to improve children’s health and educational attainment. 

Research finds similar scholarship programs improve children’s early socio-emotional development, increase parents’ educational expectations for their children, and reduce mothers’ symptoms of depression.v Likewise, when families know they have money set aside for a child’s education expenses from an early age, pursuing a degree after high school becomes an expectation instead of an unlikely dream. 

Several cities and 34 states offer scholarship programs for young children. One program offers savings funds alongside a medical home-visiting program; otherwise, scholarships for young children within health care systems are unexplored. Pediatric clinics—a trusted, frequented space regularly caring for families with children ages zero to five—are untapped, promising locations for offering educational savings accounts. 

Program Description 

Economic Opportunity Labs, an initiative of Dell Medical School, will collaborate with local pediatric clinics and nonprofit organizations to launch Early Bird, an educational scholarship program for infants in low-income families. The target clients for Early Bird’s pilot include expecting mothers who are patients at Lone Star Circle of Care in Travis County. As their babies are born and families achieve milestones promoting their children’s health and education, Early Bird puts scholarship dollars in 529 (tax-advantaged) children's savings accounts (CSAs) for their babies. 

Pilot Milestones 

1. Program enrollment = $100 scholarship 

2. Attending 6 week postpartum visit = $75 scholarship 

3. Pediatric dental visit by age 1 = $75 scholarship 

4. Attending at least six well-check visits by age 15 months = $75 scholarship 

5. Pre-K3 (pre-kindergarten for 3-year-olds) enrollment = $100 scholarship 

6. Financial coaching session for parent/s before the child turns 3 = $25 scholarship per session, up to $75 

Participating children receive scholarship dollars when they attend a post-secondary institution. Early Bird’s pilot will serve about 100 children. Positive impacts on health, education and financial outcomes will allow for scale to health clinics serving young families nationally.

Support Early Bird with your gift today, and empower a child to dream big and change the world!

Early Bird Program Partners:

References 

i Low-income children in households under 200% of the federal poverty level. Source: Kids Count, Annie E. Casey Foundation 

ii “Just 12 Percent of Graduates Complete College Within 6 Years of Finishing High School,” Source: E3 Alliance

iii Is College Worth It? Source: Pew Research Center

iv Magnan, Sanne, “Social Determinants of Health 101 for Health Care: Five Plus Five” https://nam.edu/social-determinants-of-health-101-for- health-care-five-plus-five/

v Markoff, Shira, Rebecca Loya and Jessica Santos “Quick Guide to CSA Research,” IASP and Prosperity Now https://prosperitynow.org/resources/quick-guide-csa- research-overview-evidence-childrens-savings-accounts, Fall 2018