Survey Description
The Nuestros Niños project has conducted a study that consisted of a National Survey with state administrators of various types of early childhood/intervention programs.
There were 117 state administrators of early childhood programs in 48 states and the District of Columbia who examined specific challenges, strategies, and beliefs around serving Latino children (birth to 5) and their families. The four types of programs included child care, Head Start, Part B-Section 619 preschool programs for children with disabilities, and Part C Infant-Toddler programs for children with developmental delays or at-risk conditions. All four groups reported the lack of Latino or bilingual professionals and the lack of sufficient staff preparation and training as the most urgent challenges in serving the Latino population.
The National Survey also contributed new information about:
- The percentage of young Latino children and families enrolled in early childhood programs and the percentage of Latino parents in these programs whose primary language is Spanish
- Factors that serve as challenges or barriers to serving young Latino children and families in early childhood programs such as the affordability and accessibility of services or families' lack of familiarity with early childhood services
- Ways in which states have responded to the unique needs of young Latino children and families through such efforts as outreach activities, referrals to other community agencies, and professional development activities
- Emerging respect to language development and literacy, assessment, parent involvement, diversity education, and school readiness.
For more information please review the executive summary of the National Survey, available as a pdf document, on the Products page.