Investing in a Bright Future for All of Colorado's Kids: The Importance of Providing Early Childhood Care and Education to Children in Immigrant Families

Nationally, children in immigrant families (defined as a child who is foreign-born or, in most cases, U.S.-born with at least one foreign-born parent) represent the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. child population. In 2009, nearly one in four U.S. children lived in an immigrant family--more than 17 million children nationwide. Although Colorado ranks behind other Western states like Arizona and Texas in the percentage of children who live in immigrant families, the number of children in the state with at least one immigrant parent is not insignificant; more than one-fifth of Colorado's 1.2 million children lived in immigrant families in 2009. The growing number of children in immigrant families is taking place amidst a broader demographic shift unfolding in Colorado and across the nation, as U.S. children become increasingly diverse and children of color make up an ever-larger share of the child population. The Colorado Children's Campaign works to ensure that Colorado is a great place to be a kid, for all kids. Unfortunately, there are wide gaps in well-being between many of the state's children in immigrant families and their counterparts in U.S.-born families. "Investing in a Bright Future for All of Colorado's Kids" takes a comprehensive look at key indicators of child well-being to assess how Colorado's 254,000 children in immigrant families are faring in areas such as economic well-being, family structure and English proficiency. While the state's immigrant families are strong in many regards, a number of the report's findings point to the need for increased supports for many children in immigrant families in Colorado. (Contains 49 endnotes and 3 footnotes.)