In order for credit unions to remain a long-term and viable financial alternative for consumers, they must begin to decrease the overall average age of their membership. Many attempt to do this through successful kids clubs. These kids clubs could be home-grown affairs (created and managed by internal credit union staff) or the traditional "canned campaign" with materials and themes provided by a third party vendor.

Whichever route they take, credit unions have one goal in mind – to connect with their younger members. The question becomes-how?

Perhaps the most powerful way to connect with young children is through their parents. More than likely, these parents are already credit union members and were the ones to introduce their children to the credit union in the first place. It makes sense to reach out to them and use them as powerful tools to help cultivate more rewarding and long-term relationships with these child members.

Below are a few ideas to consider as your credit union tries to connect with kids through mom and dad.

• Make sure your credit union website has a visible and easily accessible kids club page. You should also make sure that other pages that are of more interest to adults (rates, loans, etc.) are linked in some way back to the kids club page.
• Invite parents to become a part of their child's financial education. Encourage parents’ attendance at special kids events like parties and educational workshops. Invite parents to take part in these workshops and parties as workers. The more involved children see their parents, the more likely they are to engage with the credit union.
• Market regularly to parents about their child's accounts. Most parents will want to know the details of their child's accounts, such as balances, withdrawals and general usage. Make sure parents have easy access to this data and encourage them to discuss their findings with their children.

For many young children the world revolves around mom and dad. While credit unions are still able to reach out to both parents and children at this tender age, now is the time to introduce both parties to the valuable benefits and perks of lifetime credit union membership. Smart credit unions will work hard now to connect with kids through their parents, rather than waiting until the world gets hold of them later.