title: Matched Child Savings Accounts in Low-Resource Communities: Who Saves?
abstract: This study examines variations in saving behavior among poor families enrolled in a Child Savings Account program for orphaned and vulnerable school-going children in Uganda. We employ multilevel analyses using longitudinal data from a cluster-randomized experimental design. Our analyses reveal the following significant results: (1) given the average number of months during which the account was open (18 months), families saved on average, USD 54.72, which, after being matched by the program (2:1 match rate) comes to USD 164.16-enough to cover approximately five academic terms of post-primary education; (2) children's saving behavior was not associated with quality of family relations; it was, however, significantly associated with family financial socialization; (3) family demographics were significantly associated with children's saving behavior in the matched Child Savings Account program; and (4) children enrolled in some schools saved better compared to children enrolled in other schools within the same treatment group.
authors.affiliation: McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, New York University, 41 East 11th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Karimli
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Fred M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ssewamala
authors.affiliation: San Francisco, School of Medicine, University of California, Oakland, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Torsten B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Neilands
authors.affiliation: McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy & Research, Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Mary McKernan
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McKay
keywords: Child savings accounts; Children and adolescents; Low-resource communities; Suubi-Maka; Uganda