ERIC Number: ED559337
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Feb
Pages: 2
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Improving Access to Prekindergarten for Children of Immigrants: "Outreach." Fact Sheet No. 1
Lei, Serena
Urban Institute
Pre-K has been shown to strongly boost children's learning trajectories. This is as true, or even truer, for children of immigrants and English language learners (ELLs) as for children overall. Children of immigrants, who make up about a quarter of children in the United States, have significantly lower rates of pre-K enrollment, on average, than children with US-born parents. Issues such as a lack of awareness about programs, language barriers, logistical barriers to enrollment, and lack of comfort with programs can keep immigrant parents from signing their children up for pre-K. Local and state pre-K directors and staff, directors of other early childhood education programs, and early childhood education specialists were interviewed to to compile their strategies for stepping up enrollment among immigrant families. Providers and program directors use a variety of strategies to connect with immigrant parents and tell them about pre-K programs. Those include: (1) Participating in community events; (2) Going door to door; (3) Reaching parents where they already go by posting flyers or setting up an information table at places like grocery stores, doctors' offices, and churches; and (4) Encouraging parents of enrolled children to recruit other parents. To sustain outreach, the experts shared the following strategies for managing cost and staffing demands and for making the best use of limited resources: (1) Targeting resources to children of immigrants and English language learners (ELLs); (2) Drawing from flexible funding; (3) Tapping existing staff or hiring a designated cultural liaison; (4) Evaluating outreach efforts; and (5) Weaving outreach into program reporting requirements. [This is the first of three fact sheets based on "Supporting Immigrant Families' Access to Prekindergarten" by Julia Gelatt, Gina Adams, and Sandra Huerta.]
Descriptors: Immigrants, Access to Education, Preschool Education, Preschool Children, Outreach Programs, English Language Learners
Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Authoring Institution: Urban Institute
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A