Barriers to Preschool Participation for Low-Income Children of Immigrants in Silicon Valley: Part II

R E S E A R C H R E P O R T Barriers to Preschool Participation for Low-Income Children of Immigrants in Silicon Valley Part II Erica Greenberg Gina Adams Molly Michie January 2016 C E N T E R O N L A B O R , H U MA N S E R V I C E S , A N D P O PU L A T I O N A B O U T T H E U R B A N I N S T I T U T E The nonprofit Urban Institute is dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. For nearly five decades, Urban scholars have conducted research and offered evidence-based solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities across a rapidly urbanizing world. Their objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector. A B O U T T H E H E I S I N G-S I M O N S F O U N D A T I O N Established in 2007 by Mark Heising and Elizabeth Simons, the Heising-Simons Foundation is dedicated to advancing sustainable solutions in the environment, supporting groundbreaking research in science, and enhancing the education of our youngest learners. Learn more at heisingsimons.org. Copyright © January 2016. Urban Institute. Permission is granted for reproduction of this file, with attribution to the Urban Institute. Cover image © Fh Photo/Shutterstock.com. Contents Acknowledgments iv Executive Summary v Introduction 1 Research Questions 4 Structure of the Report 4 Barriers to Higher-Quality Preschool Participation for All Low-Income Families 5 The Unusually High Cost of Living in Silicon Valley 6 Parental Knowledge of Early Care and Education Programs 7 Program Cost and Affordability 12 Eligibility and Enrollment 14 Supply and Capacity 17 Location and Transportation 19 Hours and Schedules 21 Additional Barriers to Participation for Low-Income Immigrant Families 24 Distrust of Government Institutions 24 Parental Preferences for Early Care and Education 26 Cultural and Linguistic Sensitivity 29 Conclusion 34 Appendix A. Study Methodology 35 Appendix B. Strategies from Prior Research 37 Notes 41 References 42 About the Authors 44 Statement of Independence 46 IV A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S Acknowledgments We thank the Heising-Simons Foundation for sponsoring the research on which this report is based. We are grateful to them and to all our funders, who make it possible for Urban to advance its mission. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. Funders do not determine research findings or influence scholars’ conclusions. Further information on the Urban Institute’s funding principles is available at www.urban.org/support. We are grateful to Chhandasi Pandya Patel for her insights and support, as well as to Julia Gelatt, Lisa Kaufman, Camille Llanes-Fontanilla, Jessica Mihaly, and the other members of our project team—Heather Koball and Devlin Hanson—for their thoughtful comments on earlier versions of this paper. We would also like to thank the key stakeholders and experts in early care and education, immigration, and social service provision in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, who shared the insights at the heart of this report through our interviews and participated in our initial meeting in December 2014. We are grateful for their time and reflections. Thank you also to our colleagues at the Urban Institute who provided graphics and editorial support: Fiona Blackshaw, Elizabeth Forney, Scott Forrey, Tim Meko, and Devlan O’Connor. E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y V TS Executive Summary Researchers and policymakers agree: access to high-quality early care and education is central to children’s readiness for school and success later in life. A growing body of evidence suggests this is particularly true for children from low-income families, who may face obstacles related to poverty, geographic and social isolation, insufficient home resources, and instability. Yet, these children enroll in high-quality preschool programs at significantly lower rates than other children nationwide—and in Silicon Valley, specifically. As documented in our companion report, for example, more than three-quarters of low-income 3-year-olds and about two-fifths of low-income 4-year-olds in Silicon Valley are not enrolled in preschool (Hanson, Adams, and Koball 2016). Research from other areas of the country reveals a wide array of explanations, ranging from limited information on available programs to transportation challenges to unaffordability. Yet, this research also suggests that barriers to access, as well as strategies for overcoming them, vary substantially between localities. The Urban Institute has explored the unique barriers to preschool participation for low-income children in Silicon Valley in two reports. The first provides a demographic profile of low-income preschool-age children in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties (Hanson, Adams, and Koball 2016). One of its most important findings is that ne