Building a Brighter Future for Young Latino Children thru

Family Engagement

Liany Elba ArroyoAssociate Director, Education and Children’s Policy Project

National Council of La Raza

Presentation Outline

• NCLR Overview• Portrait of Latino Young Children• Selected factors that affect the educational

attainment of Latino children• NCLR Family Engagement Program

NCLR

• Founded in 1968• Largest Latino advocacy and civil rights

institution• Works to improve opportunities for Hispanic

Americans• Five key areas of work: assets/investments,

civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health

• Education work focuses on the bookends of education

Portrait of Young Latino Children (0-8)

• Latino 0-8 year olds represent slightly over 25% of all American children

• Latino children accounted for 26.1% of all births between April 1, 2010 – July 1, 2011

• Growth rate for all 0-8 year olds was 2.9% – 37.2% Latinos– -11% Whites– -5% Blacks

Portrait of Young Latino Children (0-8)

• Without the growth of the Latino child population, the U.S. child population would have experienced NEGATIVE growth

• Growth rate for all 0-8 year olds was 2.9% – 37.2% Latinos– -11% Whites– -5% Blacks

Portrait of Young Latino Children (0-8)

• Latino children are OVERWHELMINGLY (natural born) U.S. Citizens• 96.9% of all Latino children are U.S. Citizens– 99.5% Whites– 99% Blacks

What Does the Growth of the Latino Child

Population Mean to U.S.?

OPPORTUNITY**If we do right by these children

Factors that Affect Latino Educational Attainment (0-8 year olds)

PovertyDistribution of Children (0-8) Living in Poverty by

Race/Ethnicity, 2008-2010

Race/Ethnicity Percent

Hispanic 36%

White, non-Hispanic 32%

Black, non-Hispanic 25%Other, non-Hispanic 8%

Factors that Affect Latino Educational Attainment(0-8 year olds)

Health

7.4%12.5%

5.3% 6.5%

Percent of Children Ages 0-8 by without Health Insurance,

2008-2010

Family Literacy

Series10%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

19%

37%

12%

23%

Percent of Children Under Age 5 Read to Less Than Three Times Per Week in 2007

All racial/ethnic groupsLatino White, non-HispanicBlack, non-Hispanic

Factors that Affect Latino Educational Attainment(0-8 year olds)

Factors that Affect Latino Educational Attainment(0-8 year olds)

Preschool & Kindergarten Attendance

46.40%

38.50%

37.40%

Percent of 3-5 year old NOT enrolled in Preschool or Kindergarten, 2010

LatinosWhitesBlacks

• Three levels– Pre-K– Elementary– Secondary

• Pre-K is being implemented in 16 states and DC with 48 organizations trained

• In 2009, six Affiliates graduated 720 parents

Family Engagement is Part of NCLR Core Qualities for Successful Early Education Programs

1. High Expectations and High Supports

2. Collaborative Leadership

3. Cultural Competence

4. Bilingualism and Biliteracy

5. Sustained Meaningful Relationships

6. Family Engagement and Community Collaboration

7. Continuous Performance-Based Assessment

8. Relationships with Institutions of Higher Education

Padres Comprometidos

• Three levels– Pre-K– Elementary– Secondary

• Pre-K is being implemented in 16 states and DC

• In 2009, six Affiliates graduated 720 parents• Six sessions as part of program

Padres Comprometidos

Resources

• Best Practices Early Education Briefs on NCLR Education Webpage

• Package of resources will be released on October 25, 2012– Latino Kids Data Explorer– Latino Young Child Fact Sheet– Interactive Infographic

Contacts

• PolicyLiany Elba ArroyoAssociate Director, Education and Children’s Policylarroyo@nclr.org

• ProgramsAntonia LopezDirector, Early Childhood Educationalopez@nclr.org