New Report: Federal Policy for Immigrant children

Posted by on January 28, 2005

[posted from Public Education Network newsletter]

FEDERAL POLICY FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN: ROOM FOR COMMON GROUND

This policy brief focuses on the 20 percent of America’s children who live in immigrant households. Evidence shows that these children are more likely to live in poverty than native born children and are below average on many important measures of child development, including vocabulary and school achievement. These children will represent a significant part of our future workforce, and their achievement will impact our economy, as well as the viability of the nation’s Social Security and Medicare programs. As a result, scholars and policymakers should pay more attention to these children’s development. This brief discusses different approaches to policy change that could promote the development of immigrant children. Authors Ron Haskins, Mark Greenberg, and Shawn Fremstad conclude that researchers and public officials must search for common ground to improve the future prospects for the children of immigrant families.

http://www.futureofchildren.org/usr_doc/Federal_Policy_for_Immigrant_Children.pdf