Making the Health/Wealth
Connection at Brighter Beginnings
Why & How Brighter Beginnings is integrating
Financial Education and Early Child Development
Why is addressing poverty important
to Early Child Development?
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The number of poor children in California has grown
at a faster pace than the total number of children in
United States.
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Poverty is the single best predictor of child abuse
and neglect. Children who live in families with an
annual income less than $15,000 are 22 times more
likely to be abused or neglected than children living
in families with an annual income of $30,000 or
more.
Brighter Beginnings
Who we are today
We believe every family matters
and every child deserves to have
a happy, healthy future.
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Multiple Risk Factors
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Poverty, Homelessness
Single parent status
Low birth weight
Exposure to environmental
toxins
Exposure to traumatic
events or violence
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Special needs in the family
(disability, chronic illness,
mental disorders)
Low proficiency in English
Prenatal damage from
exposure to alcohol, illegal
drugs, tobacco
Maternal depression
Abuse & neglect
Health potential
Across the Life Course
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Lu MC, Halfon N. Racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes: a life-course perspective.
Matern Child Health J. 2003;7:13-30.
Strengthening Families: Building the Health/Wealth
Connection at Brighter Beginnings
Core Strategies for
Strengthening Families
home visiting, stress
reduction techniques, peer
support groups, mental
health & health educ.
protective factors
parental resilience
socialization activities,
parenting groups, peer
leadership opportunities
social connections
Parenting groups, child
development, nurturing
parenting, understanding
discipline
knowledge of
parenting and child
development
Play groups, Ages & Stages,
Bonding & attachment,
mental health,
Integrating Financial Ed
access to Financial Tools
towards self-sufficiency
Emergency needs Free
diapers, baby items
social and emotional
competence of
children
concrete supports in
times of need
Families
thrive when
protective
factors are
robust in
their lives
and
communities
.
Financial Education today
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Became VITA site in Richmond, Antioch and
Oakland
Developed a baseline assessment for
“talking about money”
Developed and trained on several financial
education curriculum, delivering to CC First 5
Centers, Early Head Start, and to teen
parents in Oakland
Financial Education in the home
 Budgeting
(income vs out-going expenses)
 If income, getting Banked
 Understanding credit and predatory lending
 Building safety-net savings
 Creating financial goals
 Referrals – ACCAN, and FESP
 other resources
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Evaluation
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How do we know that our work is having an
impact?
100% of clients set financial goals
100% of teen parents report feeling
competent to achieve at least 1 financial
goal
78% of 96 participants attended all
sessions
Financial Education, tomorrow…
Vocationalizing
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Same approach, but broader…..
Vocationalizing means building the skills and
expertise of agency staff and expanding
agency partnerships/referral sources, so that
families we serve are better prepared and
have improved access to employment and
career development opportunities
For More Information
Barbara Bunn McCullough, Ph.D.
Brighter Beginnings
bbmccullough@brighter-beginnings.org
(510) 903-7503
www.brighter-beginnings.org
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