Project Description:
Based on U.S. Census data, the number of Hispanic people living in Arkansas is projected to double in the next 20 years. Child care providers have been greatly affected by this influx of families and children to the state, but providers have received little training to assist them in adapting their services for the children and their families who speak Spanish. To better serve Hispanic children, additional training must be provided on cultural differences, assessing children for possible developmental delays, and second language acquisition. UAMS Partners for Inclusive Communities will address these needs through the Welcome the Children project.
The purpose of Welcome the Children is two-fold: (1) to facilitate appropriate referrals for services for children who speak Spanish and have developmental delays, and (2) to assist child care providers and early childhood educators through training and technical assistance to understand cultural issues and learn strategies to support children who speak Spanish.
To accomplish the first purpose, project staff will collect information through surveys and interviews on current assessment and referral procedures. Additional training materials will be developed and presented on comparing assessment instruments and obtaining/using interpreters. Project staff will work with community teams and local healthcare providers to facilitate an effective referral process.
To accomplish the second purpose, Welcome the Children will use the proven training materials developed through the Nuestra Familia ("Our Family") project and work with the Arkansas Early Childhood Professional Development System to further support and expand the professional development and training available to child care professionals across the state. To ensure the training will continue past this contract period, Welcome the Children will use a community team approach and develop the capacity of individuals across the state to present and support these training materials. The teams, from seven communities, will consist of child care providers; early childhood educators; disability and healthcare providers; clergy; family members; and representatives of Hispanic groups. With in-depth project support, these community teams will coordinate local training efforts. Welcome the Children will involve a bilingual and bicultural staff person to provide additional training, technical assistance, and ongoing support including translator and interpreter services. This project will ultimately benefit Arkansas children through quality, trained child care providers and appropriate referrals for speech/language therapy and other services when warranted.
Keyword(s):
Hispanic, Latin American, language acquisition, training, early childhood
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities, Other
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
