*Press Statement*

New Education Report Uncovers Pressing Need for Quality Programs and Funding to Support the Integration and Success of New York’s Young Children and Their Immigrant Families

“Through interviews with families across New York, we discovered several barriers that are stopping many of our kids from achieving their potential,” said Kim Sykes, Director of Education Policy.  “By following the recommendations we laid out in this report, Albany can ensure that every immigrant family can access the programs they need to thrive.”

A key finding of the report is that many of the barriers faced by young children are, in fact, barriers faced by their parents, and this is particularly true for young children from immigrant families. The report’s findings show that immigrant families with young children care deeply about their children’s development. Still, they face significant challenges navigating systems, accessing culturally and linguistically fluent programs, as well as transportation and translation/interpretation issues. In recent years, the New York State Education Department and Board of Regents have focused on young children from immigrant families—a group that makes up nearly half of New York’s young children population. 

 Background: 

The report was written by the NYIC’s Education Policy team and is the result of regional focus groups and interviews conducted over two years that included immigrant community-based organizations (CBOs) serving a range of communities from refugees to migrants, direct service providers, and immigrant community advocates in key regions across the state, as well as education policymakers, researchers and other key stakeholders. 

Recommendations:

• Invest $25M in Adult Literacy Education and focus on two-generation approaches

• Increase access to home visiting programs for immigrant families by expanding the MIECHV risk assessment factors to include lack of English proficiency 

• Improve language access by annually fully funding Foundation Aid to schools, by providing $1.5M to the state education department foster department-wide translation, and by sharing best practices with schools

• Invest $1.6M for Regional Early Learning Technical Assistance Centers

• Partner with immigrant CBOs to help families navigate enrolling in early childhood programs

• Expand access to programs that support home language development

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The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for more than 200 groups in New York State. We envision a New York state that is stronger because all people are welcome, treated fairly, and given the chance to pursue their dreams. Our mission is to unite immigrants, members, & allies so all New Yorkers can thrive. We represent the collective interests of New York's diverse immigrant communities and organizations and devise solutions to advance them; advocate for laws, policies, and programs that lead to justice and opportunity for all immigrant groups; and build the power of immigrants and the organizations that serve them to ensure their sustainability, to improve people's lives, and to strengthen our state.