School Readiness: Reaching Underserved Hispanic Families

Making sure that all children are well prepared to enter kindergarten means reaching out to those who are not attending formal pre-K programs. The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN) set out to provide educational resources to Hispanic families with young children. However, they realized that Hispanic children are the least likely of any group to attend preschool programs. This necessitated a strategic shift from a center-based to a family-based approach. A new report documents the various strategies that HITN used to reach families of children who are not enrolled in preschool programs, including working with home visiting programs, librarians, and community-based organizations. 

The authors identify five key considerations, including: (1) recognizing and addressing differences among Hispanic groups; (2) awareness that families and extended families play major roles in the lives of young Hispanic children; (3) personal relationships matter; (4) digital access is often challenging; and (5) families need physical materials, such as books, games and puzzles, not just guidance. Learn how they addressed each challenge by reading Transmedia meets the digital divide: adapting transmedia approaches to reach underserved Hispanic families in the Journal of Children and Media.