Toward an Early Care and Education Agenda for Hispanic Children

The age distribution and growth of the Latino population have critical implications for social and economic policy, with particular emphasis on early care and education. Demographic trends involving Latino children and families are presented. Hispanics have become the largest and fastest-growing racial/ethnic minority in the United States. From July 2000 to July 2003, the number of Hispanics increased by 4.6 million to 39.9 million, surpassing African Americans as the largest minority community. Four primary issues influence the early care and education needs of Latino children and their families: (1) workforce issues, (2) immigration issues, (3) educational challenges, and (4) a high proportion of English-language learners. It is discussed how Latinos are under-served by early care and education programs, including Head Start, prekindergarten, and child care. A chart highlights 10 points to include in action plans to improve early care and education services that are responsive to the needs of young Hispanic children and their families (e.g., parent outreach and involvement efforts, training and professional development of teachers, early education partnerships, program quality). Contains 27 references.