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Understanding the Needs of Los Nin'os
in Orange County
Tamara Norris, MSSW /MPA
Orange County Partnership for Young Children
May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ................................ ..............................3
Foreword............................................ ..............................4
Los Ninos Task Force Members ................. ..............................5
SummaryReport ................................... ..............................6
Needs Assessment Methodology ............ ..............................8
Needs Assessment Results ................... .............................10
Focus Group Participants Profile ....... .............................10
Focus Group Results ...................... .............................10
Child Care Provider Survey Respondents Profile ..................13
Child Care Provider Survey Results .... .............................13
Agency Survey Respondents Profile .... .............................15
Agency Survey Results ................... .............................15
KeyIssues ........................................... .............................18
Recommendations ...... ............................... ........................19
NOTE: To request a full copy of the surveys or focus group questions used to develop
this report, please contact the Orange County Partnership for Young Children by calling
(919) 967 -9091, or write to 1829 E. Franklin St., Suite 1200 -B, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The success of the Los Ninos Task Force required a tremendous effort by many
individuals. Twenty -seven community members including parents and agency
professionals served on the Task Force. Through surveys, focus groups, and meetings,
this Task Force explored the needs of Latino families with young children in Orange
County, and developed recommendations to address gaps in services in child health, early
childhood care and education, and family support.
We are indebted to Reverend John Burton and Wallace Kuralt, who served as co- chairs
and OCPYC Board liaisons for this effort. Together they provided inspired leadership for
the Task Force and championed this issue in the community. This initiative would not
have been possible without the enthusiastic contributions of Dr. Dina Castro, who
provided excellent facilitation of our Task Force meetings. Special thanks to Anne
Hastings for managing the data analysis. Finally, we are extremely grateful to those who
served as focus group facilitators, interpreters and translators, including Dina Castro,
Karen Current, Sabrina Simon, Libertad Villalba, Megan Clark, Michele Easter, Donna
Jennings, Romelia Trevino, Sonia Rajo, Pilar Forte, Jan Jillson, and Patricia Carroll.
Muchas gracias!
We extend our deepest appreciation to the parents and community professionals who
gave hours of their time, insight and expertise to make this project possible. We wish to
preserve the anonymity of the Latino parents who participated in focus groups and Task
Force meetings, but here express our sincere appreciation to them for sharing their views
with us. The willingness of all of these community members to collaboratively consider
difficult issues and suggest promising solutions is a tribute to their commitment to
children and families. We are confident that it will lead to improved outcomes for Latino
children and families in Orange County.
FOREWORD
When one travels throughout Orange County today, the faces of people new to our area
become evident. During the last decade, Latinos from Mexico and Central America have
migrated to our community to build a home for their children and families. Resettling in
a foreign country brings many challenges, and for some, barriers. There are few
resources for those who speak only Spanish, and accessing community resources from
agencies that do not have Spanish speaking staff can be incredibly frustrating and
sometimes impossible.
The Orange County Partnership for Young Children increasingly heard from families and
community agencies about the unmet needs of Latino children and families. We wanted
to better understand their needs and develop strategies to address their problems. If we
are to effectively meet our mission and ensure that all children arrive at school healthy
and ready to succeed, then we needed to better serve these Latino children. This was the
beginning of the Los Ninos Task Force, a group of families, agency representatives, and
community leaders who came together to listen to the needs of Los Ninos, the little
children.
What we found was not surprising in some ways. Like all children, Latino children need
quality child care, preventive health care, and family support. What was significant is
that these children and families face an incredible language barrier in Orange County that
can be as blunt as a sign saying "Closed to Latinos ". This barrier is not intentional in its
discrimination, but comes from the inability of community agencies to provide bilingual,
bicultural staff who can connect the Anglo and Hispanic communities.
To the credit of this county and its people, the Los Ninos Task Force revealed that this
community has a great desire to change and to grow to meet the needs of our newest
residents. The Board of Directors has listened to their concerns and recommendations
and is committed to developing new initiatives through our Smart Start resources to open
the doors for these Latino children and families. This spring, the Board will release a
special request for proposals to address the recommendations for sorely needed new
services. We look forward to the creative ideas that will come forth that can serve as a
bridge between our different cultures, and create a community in which all children will
receive the caring and support they need.
To the Latino community, we all extend a warm welcome and express our appreciation
for opening our eyes and increasing our understanding of what children need to arrive at
school healthy and ready to succeed. We are indebted to the members of the Task Force
for their leadership and commitment to building an inclusive community in Orange
County.
Sincerely,
k- � `
Rev. John Burton, Co -Chair
OCPYC Los Ninos Task Force
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Los Ninos Task Force Members
Rev. John Burton, St. Paul A.M.E. Church
Dina Castro, UNC- Chapel Hill Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center
Megan Clark, Catholic Social Ministries
Angela Cooke, Orange County Dental Department
Karen Current, Carr Court Family Resource Center
Eliza DuBose, Early Head Start
Michele Easter, Inter -Faith Council
Juan Echeverria, Orange County Schools
Sharon Freeland, Orange Congregations in Mission
Brenda Ford Harding, North State Legal
Josephine Harris, Chapel Hill /Carrboro Schools
Beckie Hermann, Orange County Health Department
Donna Jennings, Orange County Health Department
Wallace Kuralt, The Intimate Bookshop
Sharon Lee, Orange County Department of Social Services
Paul Llanos, Orange Congregations in Mission
George Ann McCay, Orange County Department of Human Rights and Relations
Carolyn Outerbridge, Early Head Start
Debbie Potter, Head Start
Rev. Luis Reinoso, Mebane United Methodist Church
Maria Elena Rodriquez, Rayito de Luz United Church of Christ
Sabrina Simon, Day Care Services Association
Edguardo Valeriano, Piedmont Health Services
Libertad Villalba, Piedmont Health Services
Jeannie Wakefield, Wee Care Child Development Center
Bessie Wiggins, Northern Orange Family Resource Center
Angela Wilcox, Early Head Start
Understanding the Needs of Los, Minos in Orange County
SUMMARY REPORT
INTRODUCTION
"I see a great opportunity to build community between Latinos and non - Latinos in
Orange County. And I think that these types of positions that Smart Start might be able
to fund which will serve as bridges between the communities could be a big part in
creating that. " - Michelle Easter of InterFaith Council, Los Ninos Task Force Member
Along with many other counties in North Carolina, Orange County has experienced a
dramatic increase in the number of Latino residents over the past few years. According
to the U.S. Census, Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic population in North Carolina,
having increased 37% from 1980 to 1990. Latino children are the fastest growing group
of children in the stateZ. In Orange County, births to parents with Hispanic surnames
represented 23% of all births from June 1998 — March 19993. Like all families with
young children, the Latino members of our community need services to ensure that their
children are healthy and ready to succeed when they enter school. But these families face
additional barriers in securing health care, child care, and other family supports.
Language barriers, cultural differences, and difficulties in finding and qualifying for
services mean that Latino children in Orange County too often go without the help they
need.
As the Latino population has grown, the organizations in our community that provide
Smart Start services have reported increasing challenges in meeting the needs of Latino
children. Consequently, the Board of Directors of the Orange County Partnership for
Young Children (OCPYC) became interested in gaining a better understanding of the
particular needs of Latino children ages 0 — 5 and the capacity of community agencies to
serve these families. As planners and funders of local services, the Partnership also was
interested in the community's ideas about creative strategies to fill the gaps in services
and address special challenges. Through the collaborative process of this initiative, the
Board hoped to contribute to a more responsive and'comprehensive service delivery
system, and to make effective decisions regarding the expenditures of Smart Start funds.
Together with community agencies the Partnership initiated the following activities to
answer these questions and produce this report.
We have used the terms Latino and Spanish speaking interchangeably to represent persons of diverse
Hispanic origins whose native language is Spanish.
2 Virginia Lewis and Florence M. Siman- Zablah, Child Care for Latino/Hispanic Families in North
Carolina, Child Care Networks, 1997.
3 Source: Orange County Department of Health live birth records.
❖ Convened the Los Ninos Task Force to discuss the issues facing Latino families with
young children, the types of services currently available, and the gaps in the system
for parents and agencies.
❖ Conducted four focus groups with parents to learn how well their needs are being met
by Orange County resources.
❖ Surveyed child care providers and community agencies serving young children to
determine their capacity to serve Latino children and families.
❖ Conducted three Task Force meetings to identify critical issues and to make
recommendations to the Partnership Board of Directors.
Each of these components is described below.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
The Los Ninos Task Force
The Orange County Partnership for Young Children created the Los Ninos Task Force as
a strategy to better understand the resources and gaps in the community, and to
collectively plan for services to meet the particular needs of Latino families with young
children. Twenty -seven representatives from county agencies and nonprofit
organizations that provide services to Latino families were invited to be a part of the Task
Force.
The Task Force was multi - tasked and considered:
• The composition of the Spanish speaking community in Orange County;
• Current resources and their relationships within the community;
• Gaps in resources and barriers to effective service delivery;
• Implications for children and families, and services providers;
• Recommendations and strategies for enhancing services for Latino children
ages 0 — 5.
The Task Force met in three sessions between October 1998 and February 1999. A
number of strategies were employed to assist Task Force members as they engaged in the
exploration of critical issues and the creation of focused recommendations. These
included individual assignments, work group tasks, full group brainstorming and directed
discussions. Two of the meetings were conducted in both Spanish and English with the
assistance of interpreters, which allowed for the participation of Spanish speaking
parents. Task Force members were provided summaries and updated materials between
meetings, and were encouraged to discuss issues among themselves, with their
colleagues, and with the families. In addition, a Steering Committee comprised of
representatives of key agencies assisted the Partnership in planning and identifying
resources for the initiative. The Task Force was highly productive and served as a
valuable forum for members to exchange information and strategies for use in their work
with Latino families.
Parent Focus Groups
Task Force members also assisted the Partnership in conducting four parent focus groups.
The facilitators received three hours of orientation and training from Partnership staff to
ensure uniformity in moderation of the focus groups. The Steering Committee assisted
staff in identifying sites for the focus groups to ensure diverse locations within the
county, and diversity of participants. Questions for the focus groups were developed by
the Task Force and translated into Spanish, and were designed to elicit discussion of
family needs in the areas of child health, early childhood care and education, and family
support. Focus group facilitators recruited participants through a variety of methods
including personal invitation, distribution of flyers, and announcements at churches and
agency meetings. The focus groups were held in January 1999 at four separate locations:
St. Thomas More Catholic Church (Chapel Hill), Orange Water and Sewage Authority
(Carrboro), Iglesia Unida de Cristo (Chapel Hill), and Efland.Community Center
(northern Orange County). Discussions were recorded in Spanish, .then translated and
transcribed for analysis. Participants were informed that their involvement was entirely
voluntary and anonymous. They received a small remuneration from the Partnership.
The focus groups provided an opportunity for parents to share their experiences, concerns
and suggestions for improving services to Latino families with young children. Their
findings and recommendations were presented to the Task Force and are part of this
report.
Agency and Child Care Provider Surveys
The Partnership surveyed community agencies and child care providers to gain an
understanding of community capacity to serve Latino children and their families.
Partnership staff developed two separate survey instruments with input from the Task
Force. For both surveys, questions focused on:
• barriers to serving Spanish speaking children and families,
• percentage of clients that are Spanish speaking,
• ways in which the agency or provider currently responds to the needs of Spanish
speaking clients,
• capacity of the agency or provider to provide services in Spanish,
• types of outreach to Spanish speaking families,
• ways OCPYC can help agencies meet client needs.
The survey to child care providers also included questions about the training interests of
child care workers relating to working with Spanish speaking parents and children.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Focus Group Participants Profile
A total of 33 parents participated in the four focus groups. Twenty -six participants
completed a demographic survey in Spanish at the completion of the session. Twenty -
five of the participants listed Mexico as their country of birth, while one was from South
America. Fifty percent of families had annual incomes less than $15,000. The majority
of respondents had 3 or 4 household members. Eighty -one percent _lived in Chapel Hill
or Carrboro, with the remainder residing in northern Orange County. Only one -third of
the respondents' children were born in the United States. Almost all of the participants
live in a two- parent household, with only three reporting that they are single parents.
Focus Group Results
Although the four focus groups were held in diverse locations in the county with different
participants, there was remarkable consistency in the themes expressed across groups.
The major points that emerged from the discussions included the following:
Early Childhood Care and Education
The focus group participants expressed concerns about child care that are much like those
of other parents with young children. They wanted to trust the people who care for their
children, and they wanted to be able to afford the services. It was apparent that these
Latino parents do not extensively use out -of -home child care. However, those who have
enrolled their children in Head Start were very pleased with the program.
• Participants stressed the importance of being able to trust child care providers, and
preferred to leave their child with a friend or relative whenever possible.
• Although some seemed to prefer informal care arrangements, concern was expressed
over the lack of reliability of this type of child care.
"Now, the person that takes care of Amy son] makes him happy, but I know that at any
moment this person can tell me that they are going to Mexico... that's why I want Head
Start. " - Iglesia Unida de Cristo Focus Group Participant
• Families trust Head Start and feel it does a good job of preparing children for school,
but some expressed frustration at not being eligible for Head Start because their
income was too high.
• Parents feel that learning English and increased social interactions are a benefit for
children attending child care.
• Some indicated that they would sacrifice income or further education to stay at home
with their child.
"It's very important to us Spanish speaking people that we have a good family and we
have a good family relationship... We don't enjoy leaving the kids behind. Sometimes it's
better to make a sacrifice. " - OWASA Focus Group Participant
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• Some participants who have applied for child care subsidy have been denied because
their income was too high, but find unsubsidized child care too expensive.
"I haven't worked and I'm at home with my children. Because, to work and pay for day
care, there would be nothing left. " - Iglesia Unida de Cristo Focus Group Participant
• Some are on the waiting list for child care subsidy.
Child Health and Mental Health Care
Many of the focus group participants use Piedmont Health Services Clinic in Carrboro as
their primary medical provider. This clinic was very highly regarded by participants
because of the caring, bilingual staff members, and the clinic's outreach to the Latino
community. Other health facilities in the county, including UNC Hospitals and the
Orange County Health Department clinics, did not appear as welcoming to focus group
participants.
Obtaining preventive medical care and immunizations was not a major concern for focus
group participants. Some noted the difficulty of finding affordable dental care. Many
participants indicated that they did have medical insurance for themselves and their
children (primarily Medicaid). However, several noted that their children were ineligible
for the new health insurance program for low- income children, and others were not aware
of the program.
• Clients feel they are well treated at the Piedmont Health Services Carrboro clinic,
where doctors and nurses speak Spanish.
• Clients expressed less satisfaction with experiences at UNC Hospitals and with the
Orange County Department of Health clinic in Hillsborough, where bilingual staff or
interpreters are not always available.
"When the birth is at night, at all hours, it would be nice to have someone [who speaks
Spanish] that could be called. A birth is different than at an appointment because you
have a set time and a birth doesn't. " - Iglesia de Unida de Cristo Focus Group
Participant
• Families sometimes take their child who speaks English to a medical appointment to
interpret for them.
"Now that my daughter speaks a little bit of English we take her with us. And lately they
have more interpreters in the clinic. It might be that the Latin American community is
growing and they realize this and they have to provide people to help us. We also have
the need to learn English so we can communicate with them... " - OWASA Focus Group
Participant
• Clients without insurance have been able to arrange installment payments of bills.
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• Some report that they could not provide sufficient employment documentation for
Medicaid, leaving children uninsured.
• Many have not heard of Health Choice, the new health insurance program for low
income families.
• Some who have applied for Health Choice have been denied because family income
was too high. Others chose not to drop their child from other coverage for the six
month waiting period to qualify.
• Families report that they do receive notice of immunizations and appointments from
clinics and schools.
• Preventive dental care is a problem because it is not readily available and is
expensive.
"The school asks us if our children have a dentist, and they send a letter saying that we
have to take him to the dentist... We don't take the kids if we don't have to, until
something is going on, that it hurts or something. " - OWASA Focus Group Participant
Family Support
The focus group participants expressed a great desire to provide a home and community
environment that supports the growth of their children. Many discussed the language
barrier as an impediment to obtaining the services their families need, and seek out child
care and ESL classes where they can learn to speak English. Some have struggled with
securing the basic necessities to support their families, such as reliable transportation and
safe neighborhoods.
• Parents expressed great concern around language barriers, both for themselves and
their children.
• Parents stressed the need for their children to learn English, and fear they will have
difficulty helping children when they go to school because of language barriers.
• Parents reported that they would attend classes on ways to help their children learn
and grow.
"Like they say, no one is born a parent. So, if there were classes to show us how to
prepare the children according to their growth, it would be important. " - Iglesia Unida
de Cristo Focus Group Participant
• Some parents revealed that their children have difficulties adjusting to attending child
care.
• Transportation is a problem for some families, particularly if they found the bus
system unfamiliar or unreliable.
"I didn't know how to ride the bus and I would walk because I didn't know where it
would stop or if it would take me too far. " - Iglesia Unida de Cristo Focus Group
Participant
• Many residents of Old Well Apartments expressed concerns about safety for their
children — some have witnessed violence, altercations and drug activity.
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"In Old Well there's a lot of crime and confusion. [I fear for my child] because as much
as you watch them, they are going to want to go out to play and sometimes they don't
want to because they're afraid and have seen things. " - Iglesia Unida de Cristo Focus
Group Participant
• Some parents will not allow their children to play outside due to these factors, or
proximity to the street.
• Participants felt that police respond appropriately when called, but would like a more
constant presence at Old Well Apartments.
• Parents reported having attended parenting classes where they learned appropriate
ways to discipline their children.
• Several participants report that landlords are inattentive to requests for maintenance,
but no participants indicated that their apartments had problems that present a real
safety hazard to children.
• Finding good quality affordable housing is a concern.
Child Care Provider Survey Respondents Profile
Surveys were mailed to 102 child care providers in Orange County. The targeted
providers included all licensed child care centers and registered homes in the county.
Thirty-one providers responded to the survey for a response rate of 30 %. Child care
providers who responded included small family day care homes as well as larger centers.
The size range was from no children currently being served (start-up centers) to centers
serving over 100 children. A breakdown of the center sizes revealed that 17 of the
providers served 10 or fewer children, seven providers served between 11 and 50
children, and seven providers served over 50 children.
Child Care Provider Survey Results
Capacity of Child Care Providers to Serve Spanish Speaking Children
Our survey data show that few Latino children in Orange County are currently enrolled in
formal child care settings. The thirty -one responding child care providers serve a total of
798 children in Orange County centers and day care homes, yet only 32 (4 %) of these
children speak primarily Spanish. Twenty -four of these Latino children were enrolled in
one Head Start center, while the remaining eight were in four different child care settings
that range in size from one to 119 children. These data correspond to focus group
findings that suggest that many Latino families primarily rely on informal child care
arrangements with relatives or neighbors, rather than enrolling their children in child care
centers.
The thirty -one respondents to our survey employ a total of 223 child care providers.
Only 9 of these child care workers (4 %), speak Spanish well enough to communicate
with Latino children.
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Barriers to Serving Spanish Speaking Children in Child Care
Eiizhteen of the 31 child care providers in our survey responded to the question "What is
the most significant barrier to serving Spanish speaking children in your child care
center /family child care home? Ten mentioned language or other communication
barriers. Respondents also were asked to select from a list of barriers they had
experienced in the past year while working with Spanish speaking parents and children.
In addition to communication problems, 6 respondents said that parents could not afford
the center /home rates, and 5 said that parents lacked regular or reliable transportation to
the center /home. Four felt that children had experienced difficulty in adapting to the
child care setting.
"In terms of day care, some families expressed that it's difficult right now because there
are a lot of families on the waiting list for financial assistance. Without that child care
subsidy, they would have no way of paying for the day care. " - Sabrina Simon of Day
Care Services Association, Los Ninos Task Force Member
Child Care Providers' Responses to Serving Spanish Speaking Children
Survey respondents were asked in which ways they have responded to the needs of
Latino children and families in their settings Many of the providers did not complete
this section of the survey, perhaps because they have not had Spanish speaking children
enrolled in their centers or homes. However, of those who did provide this information,
the most frequent response was that they have translated written materials into Spanish (8
responses). Seven centers or homes indicated that they have worked with these families
by referring them to other community services, such as health services or schools. Using
interpretation services has been tried in five child care settings. Five respondents also
indicated that they have provided staff training in cultural competence.
Although a small percentage of the responding centers and homes currently enroll
Spanish speaking children, 13 of the 31 said that they have conducted outreach to
Spanish speaking parents who need child care. By far the most cited means of outreach
was relying on word of mouth advertising among parents, used by 10 respondents. Other
significant methods include placing fliers in public places, grocery stores and doctor's
offices, and advertising in English language publications (e.g. Carolina Parents), each
cited by five respondents.
Opportunities for Training
Many of those surveyed said that they would like to receive training in ways to work with
this population, despite the fact that few currently have Latino children in their child care
settings. Respondents were asked to indicate the types of training they have received to
better prepare them to work with Spanish speaking families, and whether they had
interest in attending such training in the future. Twenty -one responded that they would
like training on how to support young children learning English in the child care setting,
and 18 indicated that they were interested in learning how to work with parents of second
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language learners. Eight respondents said that they have received some type of anti -bias
and multicultural curriculum training, and 16 would like to attend training on this topic.
Ways to Help Child Care Providers Work with Spanish Speaking Children
Eighteen of the 31 respondents surveyed answered the question "What is the most
important thing the Orange County Partnership for Young Children could do to help you
provide child care for Spanish speaking children ?" Their responses focused mainly on
ways to minimize the lap uagre barrier to working with parents and children. The most
frequent responses included providing training in Spanish, offering English as a Second
Language classes for parents, and arranging interpretation services. There were
suggestions to offer Spanish language classes for staff in child care provider homes or
centers, and to offer ESL classes at the centers.
Agency Survey Respondents Profile
The agency survey was mailed to 81 separate sites of government agencies and nonprofit
organizations in Orange County. To gain a diversity of perspectives, each agency was
asked to have both an administrator and a direct service provider complete surveys.
Forty -seven individuals representing 33 different organizations returned completed
surveys. This represents a 41% response rate from organizations.
The range of respondents included nearly all county government agencies, and nonprofit
organizations in the areas of health/mental health, human services, recreation, and the
arts.
Agency Survey Results
Capacity of Agencies to Serve Spanish Speaking Families and Children
Survey data confirmed that Orange County agencies are indeed serving Latino families
and children. Eight out of ten responding organizations (83 %) report that they are
currently serving non - English speaking clients. More importantly, two- thirds (68 %)
indicate that they serve clients that speak only Spanish.
However, the ability of many of these agencies to effectively work with these families is
constrained due to their lack of Spanish speaking staff. One -third of respondents said
that none of their staff members who have direct contact with clients speak Spanish.
About half (53 %) reported that some staff members speak Spanish.
Barriers to Serving Spanish Speaking Families and Children
Responding agencies almost universally report (91 %) that they have experienced barriers
to serving Spanish speaking clients as fully as they would like Respondents were asked
to select from a list those barriers which existed within the agency, and those barriers
which are experienced by clients. With regard to organizational barriers, the lack of
Spanish speaking or bilingual staff was recognized by 80% of respondents as an
impediment to service provision. Other significant impediments included difficulty
outreaching to Spanish speaking families and children, and funding services in Spanish,
both noted by 58 %. Language barriers were also emphasized by at least half of
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respondents, who cited inadequate or inaccurate interpretation (50 %) and translation
(54 %) services.
From the perspective of agency representatives, by far the largest barrier experienced by
Spanish speaking clients is a lack of knowledge of the agencies' services (67 %). Access
to services also is perceived as a significant obstacle, with one -third of respondents citing
lack of transportation as a problem for clients attempting to get services. Because some of
the local Latino population are migrant workers, one -third of agencies surveyed felt that
lack of a year -round residence inhibits continuous service provision. The confusion that
surrounds service provision to illegal immigrants may affect parents accessing services
for their children. One -third of agency respondents felt that clients believe that their legal
status will affect their ability to receive services, while one -fourth (24 %) indicated that
clients believe that they may be reported to INS if they use services. A further concern
for agencies serving this population is that 29% of respondents indicated that clients have
difficulty following through with referrals from their organization. A similar percentage
felt that client families' social or economic circumstances hinders services provision.
"There is need among the Latino families to know more about the system, how things
work here, and being able to understand and use the services in an appropriate way. " -
Dina Castro of Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, Los Ninos Task Force
Member
Organizations' Responses to Serving Spanish Speaking Families
Responding organizations have implemented a variety of changes to better serve Latino
children and families. However, most of those who are t1ying new approaches to
helping Spanish speaking families said that their responses were inadequate to meet
families' needs . Agencies have attempted to address the language barriers for families
by translating written materials into Spanish (65 %), translating signs and instructions
(42 %), hiring bilingual staff members (56 %), using volunteer interpreters (48 %), and
using a Spanish language telephone greeting (36 %). Yet in each of these areas, the
majority of respondents felt the need to improve their efforts in order to adequately serve
Latinos. Other significant ways that organizations are responding to new demands on
services include conducting outreach to Spanish speaking clients (53 %), training agency
staff in cultural competence (42 %) and in Spanish language (38 %), paying for
interpretation services (27 %), and hiring native Spanish speaking staff (26 %).
More than half of respondents said their agency has conducted outreach to Latino
families. Fifteen listed.three or more different types of outreach. Orange County
organizations favor promoting their services at community events (57 %), distributing
flyers in public places (35 %), and using outreach workers (39 %) to spread the word about
their services to the Latino community. Only four respondents had advertised in an
English or Spanish language newspaper, and only two had used radio or television to get
their message out.
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Meeting the Most Pressing Needs of Latino Children and Families
Three- fourths of organizational representatives responded to the question "In your view,
what are the most pressing unmet needs of Spanish speaking clients ?" The highest sing lie
response was related to language interpretation or other communication barriers
mentioned by one in five. A similar number indicated that clients' knowledge of, and/or
access to available services represents a significant obstacle to helping families with
young children.
Thirty respondents answered a survey question about what one service the Orange
County Partnership for Young Children could provide to better meet the needs of these
families. Again, overcoming the language barrier to working with children and families
by providing interpreters and translators was the primary response, suggested by fifteen
agency representatives. Other responses mostly reflected the mission of the responding
agency, such as the need for bilingual mental health counselors, or the need for outreach
workers to advise Spanish speaking families of the availability of child care subsidies.
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KEY ISSUES
The findings from the focus groups and surveys were presented to the Task Force for
their review. In small group discussions, Task Force members refined the key issues in
the areas of early childhood care and education, child health and mental health care, and
family support. These key issues are listed below, and represent a distillation of the
major concerns and barriers facing Latino families and young children in Orange County.
Early Childhood Care and Education
• Families prefer that a friend or relative provide child care for their children, but may
find this type of care unreliable.
• Families that do enroll their children in formal child care settings believe that their
children benefit from the opportunity to learn English and social interactions with
other children.
• Families who wish to use child care centers and family day care homes need Spanish
speaking staff and interpreters in these settings.
• Head Start is not available for all families who want it because of income eligibility
limitations and insufficient spaces.
• Families often are on waiting lists for child care subsidy.
• Day care remains expensive for those who do not qualify for child care subsidy.
• Many families need transportation to child care.
Child Health and Mental Health Care
• Insufficient bilingual staff members and interpreters in health facilities creates
barriers to Latino families and children receiving medical care.
• Some children need mental health services to adjust to coming to live in the U.S.,
particularly those who have been separated from family members by the move.
• Despite significant outreach efforts, some eligible Latino families still are unaware of
the Health Choice insurance program.
• Health Choice does not cover non -U.S. born children.
• Families need financial assistance to afford the full cost of medical care that is not
covered by insurance.
• Families with preschool aged children need assistance locating and paying for
preventive dental care.
Family Support
• Language barriers are a major concern for parents and children.
• Parents want more classes on child development and behavior management.
• The Old Well Apartments community is not safe for children.
• Families need a central location where they can obtain information and services —
e.g., how to get driver's license, where to register for parenting classes, etc.
• Domestic violence is a problem for some families.
• Families have difficulty locating good quality, affordable housing in Orange County.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations emerged by consensus from the Task Force discussions.
They are presented in order of priority within the Partnership's three program areas:
Early Childhood Care and Education, Child Health and Mental Health, and Family
Support.
EARL Y CHILDHOOD CARE AND ED UCA TION
➢ Create a Spanish speaking liaison position to help parents and children make the
transition to child care settings. This liaison should work with children, parents and
child care providers to eliminate language or cultural barriers to children's adjustment
to attending formal child care.
➢ Provide expanded transportation to Head Start. Group transportation should be
available to enable more families to benefit from Head Start classes.
➢ Expand Head Start eligibility and spaces to serve more children. Head Start
classes provide a supportive and stimulating environment that helps prepare children
for school.
➢ Provide cultural sensitivity training for child care providers. Child care workers
can contribute to better quality care by learning ways to support the cultural diversity
of children in their care.
CHILD HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH
➢ Broaden Health Choice coverage to non -U.S. born children. Many Latino
children ages 0 — 5 would receive better health care if they qualified for this new
health insurance program for low - income families.
➢ Develop a network of therapists to help children cope with the trauma of coming
to the U.S. Young children may need special support to adapt to the cultural, social
and emotional challenges that often accompany moving to a new country, particularly
if the move involved separation from family members.
➢ Provide bilingual - health services in northern Orange County. Families who live
in the rural areas of the county need access to health care that is family friendly and
culturally sensitive.
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Provide educational videos and materials in Spanish in health facility waiting
rooms. Information on health topics and parent education should be available to
families wherever they seek medical care for themselves and their children.
FAMILY SUPPORT
Create a Latino Center as a central place for resources, information, education
and support. The Center should function as a "one stop shopping" location to
provide family friendly services and referrals to other community services. Services
should be extended to all parts of Orange County through the use of a mobile unit.
➢ Provide more English as a Second Language (ESL) classes that are accessible to
parents. ESL classes should co- locate at the site of other services, such as Head Start
settings.
➢ Provide more Bilingual Resource Coordinator positions in community agencies.
These individuals provide a variety of supports to assist families to access needed
services. They may accompany clients to community agencies, provide translation
and interpretation services, assist in applying for benefits, and advocate for clients.
➢ Include parenting, child development, and life skills content in ESL classes.
Latino parents who expressed an interest in attending parenting and other skills
building classes could develop this knowledge while learning English as a second
language.
➢ Create a network of specialized professional translators and interpreters.
Community agencies need access to a pool of experienced translators and interpreters
familiar with a wide range of settings (e.g. medical, legal, educational).
➢ Encourage bilingual hiring practices in community agencies. All local
organizations serving Latinos should have bilingual, bicultural staff members who
can work with Spanish speaking families and young children.
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ORANGE COUNTY PARTNERSHt'P FOR
YOUNG CHtLDREN
1829 L Frairkliw Street, SVite 12008
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
w,z QtioNe 919 967 gOgi Fax 919 933 1008
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