Early Care and Education
 

ABC seeks to increase access to and awareness of early care and education programs, like preschool, for Latino children from birth to five by ensuring that:

• quality programs operate in the most underserved areas
• qualified, culturally relevant teachers and operators are prepared to transform existing programs into outstanding centers 
• children’s learning environments address the individual emotional and cognitive development as well as the cultural and linguistic needs of English language learners. 

Some of the most important learning, particularly literacy and language skills, happen before children even enter kindergarten. Research shows that while 85% of brain development occurs from birth to five years of age, only 42% of Latino three and four year olds are enrolled in preschool, compared to 74% of White and 63% of African American toddlers (U.S. Census, 2000).