Faith and Futures: A Church-Based Child Savings Account Initiative to Advance Economic Equity

Child Savings Accounts (CSAs) are a promising strategy to support long-term asset building and economic mobility for children from historically marginalized communities. However, engagement with CSA programs remains uneven, particularly in communities facing structural barriers such as limited access to financial institutions and low institutional trust. This study examines Faith and Futures, a church-based CSA initiative designed to increase participation, savings behavior, and financial empowerment among Black families.

Grounded in a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, this study reflects a partnership between Black churches, community stakeholders, and academic researchers. The intervention integrates CSA enrollment with faith-based messaging, financial literacy workshops, and ongoing support delivered through trusted church settings. Churches functioned as both recruitment hubs and spaces for financial socialization, leveraging their longstanding role as institutions of economic and social support within Black communities.

Data were collected using a mixed-methods design, including program enrollment records, pre- and post-surveys assessing financial knowledge and attitudes, and semi-structured interviews with participating caregivers. Descriptive statistics were used to assess engagement and savings behaviors, while thematic analysis examined participant experiences and perceived barriers and facilitators.

Results indicate strong program uptake when CSAs are implemented through trusted, community-based institutions. Participants reported increased financial awareness and confidence in saving for their children’s futures. Key facilitators included trust in church leadership, culturally relevant financial education, and alignment with faith-based values such as stewardship and generational responsibility. Barriers included financial strain, competing economic demands, and limited prior engagement with formal financial systems.

Qualitative findings underscore the importance of relational trust and culturally grounded approaches in shaping financial behaviors. Participants described the program as more accessible and trustworthy than traditional financial initiatives, highlighting the church’s role in fostering collective accountability and sustained engagement.

These findings suggest that faith-based institutions can serve as critical intermediaries in expanding the reach and effectiveness of CSA programs. Embedding asset-building strategies within trusted community contexts may help address both structural and cultural barriers to financial inclusion and advance intergenerational economic equity.