In this episode, Messellech “Selley” Abebe sits down with Madeline Brown to explore what it would mean if every child began life with a financial head start. Brown is a senior policy researcher at the Urban Institute and an expert on economic mobility, poverty reduction, and the racial and generational wealth gaps. Together, Abebe and Brown unpack the concept of baby bonds and child savings accounts, why policy design matters, and how these tools could help disrupt generational poverty. This conversation examines the realities families face when saving for their children’s futures, the growing wealth divide in the U.S., and what it would take to ensure every child enters adulthood with real opportunity — not just aspiration.

To learn more about Madeline Brown and her work, you can visit the Urban Institute website, and connect with her on LinkedIn. 

Want to keep digging into the real-life impact policy decisions have on children? Here’s some of what First Focus on Children has published recently:

Children Need Congress to Reverse the Snap Cost Shift to States

Social Security Advisory Board Recommends Improved Access and Increased Awareness of Survivor Benefits for Children

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