OC Partnership for Young Children report 1999

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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 4