California opened college savings accounts for millions of kids. Why do so few know about it?
Reporter's note
I covered this story because it highlights an important gap between public investment and public awareness. When I first learned about the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS), I was struck by the scale of the program — billions of dollars set aside to support children’s future education. Yet millions of eligible accounts remained unclaimed. That contrast raised a key reporting question: if the money exists, why aren’t families using it?
Through interviews with state officials and a student leader, I found that awareness — not eligibility — appears to be the biggest barrier. Even a student serving on the Oakland School Board had never heard of the program, underscoring how information gaps can limit the impact of well-funded initiatives.
Looking at local data helped ground the story in the Bay Area. In Alameda County, only a fraction of eligible students had claimed their accounts, while nearby Contra Costa County had millions of dollars still waiting to be accessed.
This story reinforced for me that policy solutions depend not only on funding, but also on clear communication and community engagement. It also strengthened my focus on careful data verification and responsible reporting when covering public programs that directly affect families.
