Ovisno o obrazovanju roditelja, na djecu se može utjecati na različite načine. Istraživanja pokazuju da su dječje zdravlje, razvoj i kao rezultat životni uspjeh obično bolji kada djeca imaju obrazovane roditelje. Prema američkom Nacionalnom centru za djecu u siromaštvu (NCDS), što su roditelji manje obrazovani, veća je vjerojatnost da će obitelj imati niska primanja. Istraživanja NCDP pokazuju da je 86% djece čije roditelji nisu završili srednju školu žive u obiteljima s niskim primanjima za razliku od 67% djece čije roditelji imaju srednjoškolske diplome i 31% djece koje imaju makar jednog roditelja s završenim fakultetskim obrazovanjem.

Drugo istraživanje je posvećeno društveno-ekonomskom statusu. Nizak društveno-ekonomski status može negativno utjecati na odnose u obitelji i ponašanje djece. Ako se obitelj suočava s takvim problemima, djeca u pravilu imaju lošije osjene i sporiji intelektualni razvoj. U obiteljima s financijskim poteškoćama djeca pesimistično gledaju na budući život i izgled za zapošljavanje.

Od samog djetinjstva takve jednostavne stvari poput čitanja utječu na razvoj djece. Veća je vjerojatnost da će roditelji koji imaju fakultetsko obrazovanje čitati svojoj djeci i kasnije raspravljati o zapletu, postavljajući im pitanja. To pomaže djeci imati puno veći rječnik i koriste nove rječi u školi. Ako roditelji sudjeluju u obrazovanju djeci na takav način, procjenjuje se da će do treće godine djeca imati bogat rječnik prije nego što bude pohađala škoju. Komunikacija je također vrlo važna. Roditelji koji imaju veće prihode obično provode više vremena sa svojom djecom, pomažući im razvijati komunikacijske vještine i prilagoditi se na život u društvu.

Birajući školu za svoju djecu, veća je vjerojatnost da će bolje obrazovani roditelji izabrati školu s kvalitetnijem obrazovanjem i većom kvalifikacijom učitelja. Djeca dobiju pomoć roditelja oko domaćih zadaća i izvannastavnih aktivnosti.

Također, postoji direktan utjecaj roditeljskih prihoda na dječja postignuća/uspjehe. Većina roditelja koji imaju niska primanja prosto nemaju vremena ili mogućnosti upisati djecu u ljetne kampove, organizirati posjete muzejima ili pomoći djeci oko plana za sveučilište. Mnogi roditelji nemaju mogućnost provoditi mnogo vremena s djecom, njegovati njihove zdrave navike ili ulagati u privatne satove. Čak takve male razlike u pristupu formalnom i neformalnom obrazovanju stvaraju ogromne razlike u dječem razvoju.

Kad govorimo o obitelji treba se osvrnuti na još jedno važno pitanje. U mnogim obiteljima jedan ili oba roditelja imaju ovisnost o alkoholu i drogama, imaju psihološke probleme, djeca često odrastaju u nepotpunoj/jednoroditeljskoj obitelji. Takve problematične obitelji psihološki negativno utječu na dječiji mentalni sklop.

Svi ovi problemi se odnose i na romske obitelji. Mnogi Romi se nalaze u težem položaju nego prosječni ljudi. Mnogi roditelji nisu imali pristup obrazovanju i sada ne mogu pomoći svojoj djeci s domaćim zadacima ili izvannastavnim aktivnostima. Većina Roma ima vrlo niske prihode, tako da u većini slučajeva roditelji u Romskim obiteljima ne mogu platiti djeci dodatne satove, nemaju mogućnost izabrati bolju školu i motivirati svoju djecu na učenje. Kao rezultat, mnoga romska djeca ne dobivaju odgovarajuću podršku, na takav način smanjujući šanse za dobar i uspješan život u budućnosti.

Relation between parents’ education and children’s development

Parents are those central figures who influence their children since the very first minutes of life. They take the whole responsibility for their upbringing and education. Parents are those who can cultivate good values in a child and at the same time those who can bring some damage to them. Parents are initial teachers and a paragon for imitation. Absorbing their role models, children take certain decisions when they are grown up.  And all of these issues are relevant to Roma people to.

Depending on parents’ background, children can be influenced in a different way. Studies show that children’s health, self-development and as a result life success tend to be better when parents have more education. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), the USA, the less educated parents are, the more likely the family will be low-income. The NCCP study found 86 percent of children with parents who have less than a high school degree live in low-income families, compared with 67 percent of children with parents who have a high school degree and 31 percent of children with at least one parent who has some college education.

Another study found low socioeconomic status. It can affect family interactions and lead to children's behavior problems. If there are such issues, it ends up in children's worse academic and intellectual development. Families that have difficulties with finance usually bring up a pessimistic feeling about life and job prospects in children.

Since the very childhood such simple things like reading to children affect their development. Parents with higher education are more likely to read to children and then discuss the plot, asking them questions, it is very helpful for them to have richer vocabulary and know and/or use the language they speak at school. If there is such work with children is conducted, it is estimated that by the age of 3 they have more complex speech and more extensive vocabulary before going to school. Communication is very important as well and those parents who have higher income tend to spend more time with their children, helping them to develop communication skills and accommodate in the society. 

While choosing schools for children, better-educated parents would consider a school with better quality of education and pay attention to teachers' qualification. Children could receive assistance of their parents with homework or some other extracurricular activities.

Also, there is a direct effect of parents’ income on children’s achievements. Most of parents who have low income, simply do not have time or possibility to take children to summer camps, organize museum trips, or help with a plan for university. Many parents are not in position to dedicate time for the family, enforce healthy habits or invest in music lessons or sports clubs. Even such small differences in access to formal and non-formal education shape a huge gap in children’s development, defined by family circumstances.

If we talk about family structure, there should be an important issue mentioned. There are many families in which one or both parents have alcohol and drugs addiction, phycological problems, one of the parents is missing or even both. Such dysfunctional families have phycological effect on children’s mindset.

All of these applies to Roma families as well. Many Roma are in a most difficult position than average people. Many parents did not have access to education and now can not assist their children with homework or extracurricular activities. Most of Roma people have very low income, so in most cases parents cannot provide children with extra classes or some outing activities, do not have an opportunity to select a better school and encourage children to study. As a result, many Roma children do not get proper sustainable support, reducing the chances for good and successful life in the future.