On Tuesday, September 27, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in partnership with the Office of the State Treasurer for Connecticut and the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School hosted an in-person event on the intersection of baby bonds with health, wealth, housing, and education.
Baby bonds are an innovative policy tool that provides children with publicly funded investment accounts that can be accessed at age 18 for specific uses, including education, homeownership, small business, and retirement. The funds are intended as a long-term investment designed to narrow the wealth gap and address generational poverty. As of 2022, eight states and Washington, D.C. have passed legislation to introduce baby bonds programs and supportive strategies that improve economic security.
The event featured Connecticut State Treasurer Shawn T. Wooden and Dr. Darrick Hamilton, founding director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School, and a conversation on the benefits and challenges of baby bonds programs and effective strategies to link the bonds to other efforts addressing generational poverty.
September 27, 2022
Conference: 3:00pm – 4:30pm EDT (Reception to follow)
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
33 Liberty Street
Benjamin Strong Conference Room (10th floor)
New York, NY
In-person event only. Event was recorded, with recording posted afterwards.
This in-person event was open to the public and the media. All remarks were on the record and the event was recorded. The recording will be made available afterwards. For media inquiries, please contact Ellen Simon at Ellen.Simon@ny.frb.org.
| 3:00pm-3:10pm | Welcome David Erickson, Head of Outreach & Education, Federal Reserve Bank of New York |
| 3:10pm-3:25pm | Opening Remarks Shawn T. Wooden, Connecticut State Treasurer |
| 3:25pm-3:30pm | Prepared Remarks Amara Enyia, President of Transnational Advocacy, Global Black |
| 3:30pm-4:10pm | A National Lens on Baby Bonds Moderator: Garnesha Ezediaro, Greenwood Initiative Portfolio Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies Panelists: Darrick Hamilton, Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban Policy and Founding Director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School Todd Howland, Chief of Branch, Development, Economics and Social Rights at Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Jennifer Ng’andu, Managing Director-Program, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scott Winship, Senior Fellow and Director of Poverty Studies, American Enterprise Institute |
| 4:10pm-4:25pm | Q&A |
| 4:25pm-4:30pm | Closing Remarks Dyvonne Body, Community Development Specialist, Federal Reserve Bank of New York |
CT Baby Bonds, The Office of Treasurer Shawn T. Wooden
A Brighter Future with Baby Bonds: How States and Cities Should Invest in Our Kids, Prosperity Now
