All Featured Highlights: Cultural Competency

• Nov 20, 2012  |  Emily Firgens and Hannah Matthews State Child Care Policies for Limited English Proficient Families The most recent set of CCDBG state plans for FFY 2012-2013 offer insight into how states' activities and policies are targeted toward LEP and immigrant families, children, and providers. We provide in this paper summaries of state responses to questions about engaging with LEP families and providers and better serving them through state child care assistance programs. Download PDF
• Oct 05, 2011  |  Hannah Matthews Meeting the Early Learning Challenge: Supporting English Language Learners CLASP's "Meeting the Early Learning Challenge" series provides information and policy options for states as they develop their applications for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge. Download PDF
• Aug 31, 2010  |  Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Early Education Programs and Children of Immigrants: Learning Each Other's Language This paper was written for the Urban Institute's roundtable on Young Children in Immigrant Families and the Path to Educational Success. It discusses the federal and policy landscape for serving young children of immigrants in early care and education and includes policy recommendations for improving access for immigrant families. Read Online
• Feb 22, 2010  |  Hannah Matthews Immigrant Families and Child Care Subsidies: What Federal Law and Guidance Says One in four young children in the United States lives in an immigrant family. Federal law establishes policies on immigrant eligibility for child care assistance, yet questions regarding eligibility remain at the state and local level. Most child care assistance is funded through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, which have differing rules regarding immigrant eligibility. This fact sheet lays out rules and guidance related to immigrant eligibility for child care subsidies through both funding streams. Download PDF
• Mar 23, 2009  |  Hannah Matthews Ten Policies to Improve Access to Quality Child Care for Children in Immigrant Families While children in immigrant families represent a rapidly growing segment of the nation’s child population, they are less likely to access child care and early education settings compared to their peers in native-born families. Part of CLASP’s "Reinvesting in Child Care" series, this paper presents ten policies for state policymakers to implement now with economic recovery funds to improve access to quality child care for children in immigrant families. Download PDF
• May 02, 2007  |  Hannah Matthews and Deeana Jang The Challenges of Change: Learning from the Child Care and Early Education Experiences of Immigrant Families One of every five children in the United States is the child of an immigrant. Although these children stand to benefit from high-quality child care and early education programs, available data show that they are less likely to participate in all types of non-parental care than children of U.S.-born citizens are. To explore the reasons for the lower participation of children of immigrants, CLASP conducted site visits across the country to learn first hand about the challenges that immigrant families face. CLASP sought out immigrant leaders and direct service providers, immigrant parents, child care and early education providers, and policymakers. This report identifies multiple barriers that impede immigrant families from accessing high-quality child care and early education. It also highlights promising strategies being used in local communities to break down those barriers and to improve child care and early education programs so that they are more responsive to the needs of diverse immigrant families. It concludes with a set of recommendations for federal, state, and local policymakers, advocates, private foundations, and researchers. Download PDF
• Sep 30, 2008  |  Hannah Matthews Support a Diverse and Culturally Competent Workforce Child care providers and caregivers need a set of skills to work effectively and respectfully across cultures. All babies and toddlers in child care need nurturing, responsive providers and caregivers they can trust to care for them as they grow and learn. To support this goal, CLASP recommends that states ensure the diversity and cultural competence of infant and toddler providers and caregivers in order to meet the needs of the state’s children under three and their families. As part of CLASP's Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care project, available materials include research to support this recommendation, policy ideas, state examples, and online resources. Read Online
• Feb 11, 2008  |  Hannah Matthews Incorporating Cultural Competence in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems This presentation provides an overview of what cultural competence is; why cultural and linguistic competence is important in early childhood standards; and how quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) can support cultural and linguistic competence. Download PDF
• May 07, 2009  |  Hannah Matthews Supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families in Early Care Policies and Practice This presentation provides recommendations for state policymakers and local programs to help culturally and linguistically diverse families access high quality comprehensive early care and education. Download PDF
• Dec 20, 2007  |  Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Selected State and Local Policies to Support Immigrant and Limited English Proficient (LEP) Early Care and Education Providers As the young child population is growing in diversity, the early childhood field is facing a shortage of bilingual and bicultural providers. One way to increase the supply of qualified, bilingual and culturally competent early care and education providers is to assist providers from immigrant communities to gain the skills to become licensed child care providers, as well as to provide supports to immigrant providers in order to retain them in the early childhood field and to encourage further professionalization and credentialing. CLASP has created a checklist of selected policies that support immigrant providers, particularly those with limited English proficiency. This tool offers strategies and examples for improving policies in the areas of language access, training and professional development. Download PDF
• Dec 20, 2007  |  CLASP Breaking Down Barriers National Summit: Resources and Materials On December 4-5, 2007, 75 policymakers, advocates, and researchers convened in Chicago, Illinois for CLASP's Breaking Down Barriers National Summit on Improving Access to Early Care and Education for Immigrant Families. With funding from the Joyce Foundation and the McCormick Tribune Foundation, CLASP brought together this diverse group of actors to explore how state policies can support immigrant families and to strategize policy solutions to improve access to high-quality early care and education for immigrant families. Read Online