Impact and Insights from IPA’s Education Program and Two-Generation Initiative
On October 2, IPA's Education Sector Program Director, Sarah Kabay presented on our recently launched Two-Generation Initiative, working to improve the lives of children and disrupt the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Across low- and middle-income countries, nearly half of all children under the age of five are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential. One of the most important protective factors for young children in mitigating the effects of severe adversity is a positive, responsive relationship with a parent, but parents often face many challenges themselves. The lives of children and their caregivers are intimately linked, but research, policy, and intervention often address the needs of each separately. This disconnect might be a key limitation of existing efforts to improve the lives of children and disrupt the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Two-generation approaches for intervention and policy target both children and adults, aiming to generate greater and more lasting impact than those that target either one. IPA’s Two-Generation Initiative aims to design, develop, and test the ability of two-generation approaches to lead to breakthrough outcomes for the most vulnerable children and their families.