Settlement-Based Disparities in Latino/a Families’ Head Start Access and Enrollment

• In Event: From Head Start to Start-Ups:Economic and Social Integration of Immigrants in the U.S.

Abstract

Although Latino/a parents value high-quality preschool programs like Head Start—and Latino/a children often benefit more from them—their participation remains lower than other racial/ethnic groups and varies widely across states and communities. Our study aims to identify ways to improve Latino/a family Head Start preschool enrollment across different community contexts.

Latino/a families—particularly immigrant families—are increasingly settling in new U.S. destinations that often lack immigrant-specific supports and face heightened immigration enforcement, both of which may hinder their access to and enrollment in Head Start. Using a multidimensional definition of equitable early care and education (ECE) access—including affordability, reasonable effort, culturally-relevant developmental support, and alignment with parent needs—this paper examines: (1) whether systematic differences in multidimensional Head Start accessibility exist across Latino/a settlement destinations, and (2) how these differences contribute to disparities in Latino/a Head Start enrollment.

To address these questions, we conduct a county-level analysis using multiple secondary data sources, most notably the Head Start Program Information Reports (PIR) and a multi-year, county-level immigration policy dataset. We use pooled cross-sectional data (2015–16 through 2018–19) and apply descriptive statistics and OLS regression with state fixed effects to identify patterns and associations in Latino/a Head Start enrollment, accessibility, and local immigration enforcement contexts—including ICE raids, local policing agreements, and detention rates—across three types of Latino/a destination counties: established, new, and emerging. A key strength of this study is its comprehensive assessment of Head Start accessibility, which incorporates a broad set of indicators reflecting overall program quality (e.g., teacher and staff qualifications), availability of culturally relevant child supports (e.g., bilingual staff), and parental supports (e.g., job training, ESL courses).

Preliminary results highlight several Head Start disparities across Latino/a destinations. Most notably, we find that the average Latino/a Head Start enrollment rate is lower in new (52%) versus established destinations (62%). We also find across destination differences in key Head Start program characteristics—e.g., the share of Latino teachers is lower in new (M=15%) versus established (M=56%) destinations (p<.05)—and immigration enforcement efforts—e.g., a higher immigrant apprehension rate in new (M=4.56) vs. established (M=1.92) destinations (p<.05). These findings provide preliminary evidence that there are indeed systematic differences in Latino/a Head Start enrollment and accessibility across Latino/a destinations.

For APPAM, we will examine these differences further using regression analyses. Though our analysis will be largely descriptive (non-causal), it provides an important first step for understanding how geographic variation in Head Start programming and broader immigration enforcement contexts shape Latino Head Start enrollment. By doing so, we will identify specific programmatic supports and policy efforts that may help Head Start programs increase Latino enrollment across destinations.

Author

• Stephanie Potochnick, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
  Presenting Author