Dr. Kathy Fletcher knows the first three years of a child’s life are critical for preparing kids to grow and mature into healthy and productive students and adults. But what if early childcare providers don’t know how to make it happen? Fletcher, President and CEO of Voices for Children of San Antonio, worried that these providers—who only need a high-school education to be on the job—are eager to help children success, but don’t always have the tools to give local kids the appropriate developmental care and services they need during their formative years to promote healthy development. At least one quarter of children birth to five are in some form of organized out-of-home child care. Investing in professional development for early childhood providers can reduce the ...
Many Latino families will get health-boosting "home visits" thanks to $352 million in new federal funding. The Maternal Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV Program) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will award $352 million to 55 groups across the country. The groups will visit the homes of at-need families to bring health, social, and early childhood development services to improve family health and enable new opportunities for their children. “Evidence-based home visiting programs help children get off to a better, healthier start,” said Dr. George Sigounas, HRSA administrator, in a press release. “[These] awards allow states to support local agencies in providing home visiting services that meet the needs of families in ...
President Donald Trump's administration recently rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an American immigration policy signed by President Barack Obama five years ago. DACA allows unauthorized immigrants who arrived in the United States as children to work, go to school, and get a driver’s license without fear of deportation. The clock is now ticking for a Congressional fix for people who qualify for DACA. If not, recipients could lose their status starting March 5, 2018.
Who are DACA recipients?
Since the program started in June 2012, most DACA recipients are in Latino-centric states: California (222,795) followed by Texas (124,000) and Illinois (42,376). Unauthorized immigrants from Mexico make up more than three-quarters of all DACA ...
The science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce is no more diverse than it was 20 years ago. In fact, less than 2% of the STEM workforce is Latino youth, although they make up about 20% of the population, according to a factsheet by the U.S. Department of Education. Vacant STEM jobs and gaps in this growing career field mean gaps in income, health, and quality of life. It also means Americans lag behind in: advancing alternative energy source
curing diseases
predicting natural disasters
preventing cybercrime
protecting our citizens
securing sustainable food supply In order to promote STEM careers among Latino youth, we need to improve STEM programming beginning as early as preschool, promote STEM programs for Latinos, and boost high school ...
The first few years are critical for preparing kids for life, yet early childcare employees are the least prepared. They often only have a high school degree, thus aren’t equipped to give kids the care and services they need during their formative years. Mississippi Governor, Phil Bryant, told residents at the Neshoba County Fair in July 2017 that he plans to improve early childhood education across the state by training day care workers. He hopes to use federal and state funds to provide training through the state’s 15 community colleges, at no cost to the workers, according to one source. According to Governor Bryant’s Twitter account, “Our community colleges are now educating our childcare workers on early childhood education best practices. Our children deserve the ...
Did you know: In King County, Washington (9.28% Latino population), only 1 in 4 of all Latino high-school graduates go on to earn a college degree? This is in stark contrast to the region’s 1 in 2 Asian and white students who earn a degree. In an effort to help Latinos both enroll in and succeed in college once they get there, Highline College has created the innovative Puente program. As part of this initiative, just 25 students – most are first-generation Latino students who are the first members of their families to attend college – are “banded” together for the course of their studies.
Culturally focused learning community
Education determines a lot about a person’s life. Education factors into their health, where they live, their access to resources, and their ...
Although research has shown the many health, social and emotional, and cognitive benefits of quality early child care and education, Latinos have the lowest participation in these programs. Why? Child care deserts may be the answer. Although affordability, work schedules, and waiting lists are also factors, location is often the first major consideration for families. Center for American Progress looked into the location of child care centers across eight states, which accounts for 20% of the population under age five. The authors define child care desert as a ZIP code with at least 30 children under the age of five and either no child care centers so few centers that there are more than three times as many children under age 5 as there are spaces in centers. See ...
Latino students sometimes struggle to continue their education, which can hinder their long-term life outlook. In San Antonio, TX (63.34% Latino population), many students have counted on the Upward Bound Program from the U.S. Department of Education to help prepare them for college. However, according to the San Antonio Express-News, funding for the program – which has been in operation for the last 20 years in the city’s primarily Latino-populated South San Independent School District (SSAISD) – has been cut and was in danger of not continuing. According to reports, 64 SSAISD students participate in Upward Bound. “[That] number probably would have increased to about 100 had there been enough funding to continue the program this year and recruit a new freshman class ...
Latino children may have education disadvantages when starting kindergarten. Head Start, which is free for low-income families, may help to improve school readiness with curriculum to enhance children's language, pre-literacy, and social-emotional skills. In 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services Head Start passed new performance standards increasing the minimum program hours. This is great for kids and families, but a challenge for providers due to limited space. In Alexandrian, Minnesota, half-day classes could share the same facility, one in the morning and a second in the afternoon, but didn't have the space to offer full day programming for both classes. They needed more space. Jim Haugen, Head Start Supervisor approached Alexandria Technical and Community ...
