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Early care and education participation among immigrant families One out of every five children in the United States is the child of an immigrant, and many of these children are at risk of school failure. Children in immigrant families are the fastest growing segment of the nation's child population. Participation in quality early education programs could be particularly beneficial for children of immigrants who face multiple risk factors; yet these children appear less likely to participate in such programs. A report prepared by the Center for Law and Social Policy aims to identify and respond to the needs of immigrant families so that teachers, schools, and early childhood programs are better prepared to serve these children. The researchers identified some of the factors affecting participation in preschool and childcare centers: -- Over a quarter of all young children of immigrants are poor and over one-half live in low-income households. -- Children of immigrants are more likely to live in two-parent households but less likely to have two working parents. -- The nature of immigrant employment may limit child care options. Immigrants are over-represented among the low-wage workforce and are likely to be working irregular and non-traditional shifts, nights, and weekends which makes securing child care even more difficult. -- Children of immigrants are more likely to have parents with less formal education. -- Most young children of immigrants live in mixed-status families (with at least one non-citizen parent), even though they themselves are likely to be citizens. Source: Center for Law and Social Policy, "Reaching All Children? Understanding Early Care and Education Participation Among Immigrant Families," http://www.fcd-us.org/ReachingAllChildren.html, January 2006.
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