Policy and Practices to Improve Access to Early Care and Education (ECE) for Low-Income Hispanic Families

This brief builds on a synthesis of the research on the access Hispanic families have to quality early care and education, but the target audience is policymakers and early care and education (ECE) providers. Issues such as families' work schedules and developing ECE staff who reflect the cultural, racial and linguistic diversity of Hispanic families and are fluent speakers of families' native languages are discussed. Access to quality ECE programs is cited as a strategy for reducing the achievement gap of children from low-income Hispanic families entering kindergarten. Additionally, access to quality ECE is identified as a way to facilitate parental employment.