Between 2000 and 2015, the number of children ages 17 and under with immigrant parents grew 36%, from 13.1 million to 17.9 million.1 If you work with young children and their families, the likelihood that you will work with young children whose family members are immigrants increases daily. It’s important for each early childhood professional to know more about how to effectively support each of these children and their family. To that end, members of DEC’s VOICES Council2 are sharing their ideas about effective resources to support your work with young children who are immigrants and their families.
Promoting Immigrant Parents’ Engagement in Early Intervention Through Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Service Delivery   
This article focuses on the use of culture-based play, songs, and games in early intervention for infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing and recent immigrants to the United States. It includes activities that promote child development, language, and literacy using cultural and linguistic practices that respect and support home culture and language. An appendix offers songs, nursery rhymes, and games for infants and toddlers in Spanish and English.
http://tinyurl.com/jehdi2016
Immigrant and Refugee Children: A Guide for Educators and School Support Staff

This guide was created for educators, school support staff and service providers who teach, mentor and help open the doors of opportunity for undocumented youth and unaccompanied and refugee children cur-rently living in the United States. It provides the tools and resources available to help protect and prepare children and families for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid. 


2 The VOICES Council has been created to ensure that all early childhood special education professionals, families, and children from diverse identities, backgrounds, lifestyles, values, and beliefs are included in the events, policies, and practices put forth by DEC. For additional information about VOICES, visit https://www.decvoices.org/
Supporting Young Children in Immigrant Families: What Early Childhood Stake-holders Need to Know About the New Immigration Orders 
This webinar detailed recent immigration enforcement policy changes that directly impact children living in mixed-status immigrant families. Speakers shared strategies and resources to help child care and early education providers support children and families at risk of immigration enforcement, including how to keep their programs safe from enforcement actions and help families cope and prepare for possible deportation. An extended list of resources is provided.  
http://tinyurl.com/claspwebinar2016
Resource Guide: Building a Bright Future for All: Success in Early Learning Programs and Elementary School for Immigrant Families 
This January 2017 resource was developed to enhance state and local efforts to support immigrant children from birth through the elementary grades. The first half provides tips for educators in early learning programs and elementary schools as well as schools, districts, and States to: (1) facilitate school enrollment by immigrant families; (2) promote healthy child development in the school setting; (3) encourage care-giver engagement in their children's education; and (4) build staff knowledge about immigrant children and their educational needs. The second half provides tips for parents and guardians on how to facilitate children's learning and education starting at birth. 
Resources within Reason is a free, bi-monthly, one-way listserv provided by the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC). All resources are evidence-based, readily available and free. Resources within Reason may be freely shared or reproduced. Past issues are available here.

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To suggest resources or request topics for the listserv, please contact Camille Catlett at 919.966.6635 or camille.catlett@unc.edu.

Visit the DEC website to learn more about resources, practices, products and professional development opportunities that can help support young children with or at risk for disabilities and their families. 
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