Babies and toddlers are on a roll! 

Our children have been scoring some exciting victories in federal policy, not to mention in Illinois and other states. 

While the recent attention and resources directed toward infants and toddlers may be unprecedented, the Latino Policy Forum and its early childhood partners have long known that supporting the learning and development of our youngest children is one of the best bets when it comes to strengthening educational outcomes.

In a report released last fall, Primeros Pasos: Strengthening Programs that Support Illinois Infants and Toddlers, the Forum made a clear case for the importance of the early years, specifically from birth-to-three.

It... Continue Reading

What compelled 32 Latino-community early childhood advocates, policy analysts and service providers from all corners of the United States to board red-eye flights, high-speed trains, and caravans to Washington, D.C. in late September? After months spent drafting comments and recommendations that address the nuanced needs and priorities of Latino communities, these advocates had the opportunity to bend Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s ear and share their perspectives on and hopes for the federal early learning proposal, commonly known as Preschool for All. 

I was delighted to be one of those 32.

Convened by National Council of La Raza and attended by NCLR’s early childhood affiliates, the Department of Education’s extra-long... Continue Reading

"[Let's] make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind," President Barack Obama said in his call to action for universal pre-K.

And as Latinos have the lowest preschool attendance rate of any group in the U.S., there's ample opportunity for the president's call to focus on boosting access for these young learners. There's also urgency: Illinois Latinos are up to six months behind their peers in cognitive measures before they even begin kindergarten, the start of a gap that develops into frustratingly low high school graduation rates. (This national report points to an eight-month gap for Mexican-American kids.)

I applaud the spirit of the federal plan to connect all American children with high-quality... Continue Reading