Boulder, Colo. – Jan. 14, 2004 – A report released today by the Early Care and Education Council of Boulder County outlines recommendations to improve school readiness of Latino children in the county. The recommendations are based upon research into the child care needs and preferences of local Latino families, proven strategies for improving school readiness, and an inventory of existing community assets. The goal of the report is to lessen the achievement gap between white students and minority students in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley School Districts.

The research, conducted by the ALMAR Development Group of Denver, was sponsored by the Early Care and Education Council of Boulder County with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

“Boulder County’s growing Latino population brings important cultural, social, and economic assets to our communities,” said Peter Salas, Jr., former Chair of Knight Foundation’s Boulder Community Advisory Committee. “Knight Foundation is committed to nurturing these assets into the future by ensuring that Latino children in Boulder County are prepared to enter school.” The Miami-based foundation will invest almost $3.5 million in local school readiness initiatives over the next five years.

“The recommendations in the report will directly help child care and preschool providers, community agencies, and policy makers identify actions that they can take to ensure all of Boulder County’s children are ready to enter kindergarten,” said Karen Rahn, Co-Chair of the Early Care and Education Council of Boulder County and project workgroup.

There are approximately 3,400 Latino children under the age of six in Boulder County. National research shows that Latino children are least likely of any children to have attended preschool prior to elementary school.

Among the recommended strategies for improving school readiness of local Latino children is removal of barriers to use of available services, including lack of trust, high cost, lack of transportation, difficult communication, and discouraging enrollment procedures. The report recommends improving the cultural competence of child care and preschool programs and developing a clear language policy and approach to use of Spanish or English.

Selected research findings from the report include:

• Latino parents prefer their children to retain their culture and language while becoming ready for bilingual school situations.
• Most formal child care providers lack the skills and tools for providing bilingual/bicultural care and learning, although they want to find strategies to help with cultural competence,
• Child care provided by friends or family members is preferred by Latino parents because these caregivers are known and trusted and can offer shared language and culture.
• Several model programs that have undergone careful research to show that they are effective.
• Boulder County has a wealth of programs that address school readiness of young children. The degree to which these programs are culturally competent and have won the trust of Latino families varies widely.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.