Building a Brighter Future for
Young Latino Children thru
Family Engagement
Liany Elba Arroyo
Associate 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)
Poverty
Distribution of Children (0-8) Living in Poverty by
Race/Ethnicity, 2008-2010
Race/Ethnicity
Percent
Hispanic
36%
White, nonHispanic
32%
Black, non-Hispanic
25%
Other, non-Hispanic
8%
Factors that Affect Latino
Educational Attainment
(0-8 year olds)
Health
Percent of Children Ages 0-8 by
without Health Insurance,
2008-2010
12.5%
7.4%
All race/ethnic
groups
Latino
5.3%
6.5%
White, nonHispanic
Black, nonHispanic
Factors that Affect Latino
Educational Attainment
(0-8 year olds)
Family Literacy
Percent of Children Under Age 5 Read to Less Than
Three Times Per Week in 2007
40%
37%
35%
30%
23%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
All racial/ethnic groups
Latino
19%
White, non-Hispanic
12%
Black, non-Hispanic
Factors that Affect Latino
Educational Attainment
(0-8 year olds)
Preschool & Kindergarten Attendance
Percent of 3-5 year old NOT enrolled in
Preschool or Kindergarten, 2010
37.40%
46.40%
Latinos
Whites
Blacks
38.50%
• 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
• Policy
Liany Elba Arroyo
Associate Director, Education and Children’s Policy
larroyo@nclr.org
• Programs
Antonia Lopez
Director, Early Childhood Education
alopez@nclr.org