Two-Generational Integrated Family Support Model
RCTReview
Intergenerational poverty persists when social protection programs treat adult employment barriers and child educational deficits as separate issues rather than addressing family needs holistically.
Picture this
Trying to lift a family out of poverty by supporting only the parents or only the children is like trying to move a bicycle forward by pedaling only one wheel. A two-generational model powers both wheels simultaneously by providing remedial tutoring and early education for children while offering job skills and benefit access for parents.
What the evidence says
The combined two-generational intervention significantly reduced household material and social deprivation, increased monthly household income, elevated parents' academic expectations for their children, and increased children's standardized test scores in mathematics and language.
- Who was studied
- 3,133 individuals in 792 families with children across 4 Spanish cities (192 educational treatment, 190 employment treatment, 190 combined treatment, 220 comparison).
- How
- Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) over 12 months by Save the Children testing parent job skills training, child educational support (remedial classes, early childhood spaces, parenting skills), combined support, and standard care.
What to do
Integrate adult job placement and benefit navigation services with child academic tutoring and early childhood education within a single family-focused program.
From the source
"The combined treatment resulted in a reduction of material and social deprivation, an increase in monthly household income, an improvement in parents' expectations for their children's academic performance, and an improvement in standardised test scores for language and mathematics."
promoting-labor-market-inclusion-policy-publication.pdf