Latino children are the fastest-growing segment of the child population, yet they have the least access to early care and education (ECE) programs. Fewer than half of Hispanic children ages zero to three attend a center-based ECE program, compared to 66% of Black children and 59% of White children. Enrollment trends for Latinos are similar for preschool programs, and Head Start only reaches about one-third of eligible Hispanic children. 

 

Because of the limited access to high-quality zero-to-five programs, Latino children start kindergarten well behind their peers. They have trouble identifying letters and lag behind their classmates in pre-math skills. This achievement gap persists well into elementary and secondary school, making it more and more difficult for Latino students to catch up. By fourth grade, 32% of Hispanic students score below the basic achievement level in reading and 54% score below basic in math, compared to 16% and 31% of non-Hispanic students. The statistics are grimmer for English language learners (ELLs), who face even more challenges in school and achieve at lower levels.  These trends will not be reversed unless Hispanic children have greater access to ECE programs that address their needs and prepare them to be successful in school.

 

NCLR’s Position
NCLR believes that high-quality early education programs can play an integral role in closing the achievement gap for Latino children.  To this end, NCLR supports policies at the federal and state levels which improve access to and quality of early education programs for Latino and ELL children and their families. 

 

NCLR engages in federal policy debates on these issues, works at the state level by providing technical assistance and support to our national network of Affiliate organizations, and conducts research and policy analysis to help inform policy development. Click on the links below to read about our work and visit our research page to learn more about our research and publications.