This report shares key facts about immigrant parents with young children and examines 11 programs that have successfully served immigrant and refugee families using a two-generation approach. Readers will learn about the difficulties these programs face, what they are doing well, and what policymakers and community stakeholders need to know to support this vulnerable — and growing — demographic.
Wanted: Versatile, responsive approaches that meet the needs of low-income families with foreign-born parents
Many immigrant parents have specific challenges, such as limited English proficiency and low levels of formal education, that require tailored approaches in order for their families succeed. At the same time, America’s immigrant population is diverse. A long list of factors — including marital status, length of time in the United States, nationality, employment status and immigration status — can impact which two-generation program elements immigrant families may need.
Findings & Stats
Terminology Check
This study defines two-generation programs as those that 1) provide services to both kids and parents; and 2) track outcomes for both kids and parents.
Too Few Served
In the United States today, federally-funded adult English and education classes serve about 3% of the men and women who could benefit from them.
Room for Improvement
This report calls for improved collection, analysis and use of data relevant to the presence, needs and outcomes of immigrant and refugee children and families.
Family Factors
Compared to their peers with U.S.-born parents, children of immigrants are more likely to live in poverty and in households where parents have limited English proficiency and lower levels of education.
One in Four
In 2012-13, 25% U.S. kids ages 0 to 8 were children of immigrants.
A Distinct Gap
Just 28% of U.S.-born mothers with young children are both unemployed and not looking for work. Among immigrant mothers, this statistic climbs to 42%.
Diploma Difference
Immigrant parents are five times more likely than U.S.-born parents to be without a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Statements & Quotations
Programs that couple basic English language and literacy development with U.S. culture and systems knowledge must be distinctly valued and prioritized alongside — and as an on-ramp into — services that pursue the achievement of family economic security through the promotion of workforce integration and advancement.
The lessons offered in this report point the way toward ensuring that immigrant and refugee families have equitable access to services that seek to break family poverty cycles and foster the academic success and overall well-being of the next generation.
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