Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Explore stories from early childhood professionals, learn about different cultures and find resources for modeling inclusivity and increasing family support.

Did you know?

Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in the United States.
The number of Spanish speakers in the U.S. has increased by 210% since 1980.
By 2060, it’s estimated 1 in 3 babies born in the United States will be Latine.

Research shows bilingual children have a better working memory than children who speak only one language.

Highlighting Hispanic & Latin American Leaders

Growing Up Bilingual: Challenges and Comforts

When Verónica Chávez, PhD, set out to join the mental health field, she never fully considered the impact her cultural upbringing would have on the families she works with.

How does supporting bilingual families contribute to positive Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health?

IECMH professionals reflect on their bilingual upbringing and how the right support can make all the difference.

Now DC:0-5 certified trainers working in the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, they provide individualized and family-focused services to meet a range of needs.

Rocio Ortiz Luevano, LCSW, IFECMHS

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Infant-Family Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and Supervisor for Los Angeles County, Department of Mental Health’s Young Mothers and Babies

Verónica Chávez, PhD

Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health

Building Bilingual Brains: Educators Who Are Making an Impact

Natalia and Felissa chat about their approach and passion for Sol y Luna, their nature play-based, Spanish immersion preschool.

Representation in Children's Programming

Actress Sonia Manzano, best known for playing Maria on “Sesame Street” for over four decades. She speaks with our Chief Policy Officer Miriam Calderón about identity, honoring culture and her legacy through “Alma’s Way.”

Interviews in the Field

In these interviews, Raquel, Luisa and Abel walk us through the intersection of their racial identities and interactions as early childhood professionals.

Raquel Munarriz Diaz, EdD

Dr. Diaz is a ZERO TO THREE Fellow and Senior Partnership Manager for the University of Florida Lastinger Center. Her impressive 32 years in the field spans many aspects of early childhood education and professional development.

Luisa Soaterna-Castañeda, MPH

As the Director of Program Management and Technology for the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning at ZERO TO THREE, Luisa plays a key role in supporting and developing resources & technology solutions for Head Start and Early Head Start.

Abel Covarrubias, MA

Abel is Founder and CEO of Aprendamos Intervention Team, an organization providing early intervention services in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and a Board Member of ZERO TO THREE.

Downloads for Professionals

Building Relationships and Buffering Toxic Stress: Group-Based Medical Care With Spanish-Speaking Latino Families

This article describes a group model for medical visits during pregnancy and early childhood, an intervention designed to promote relationships and address toxic stress for Spanish-speaking Latino families.

Beyond a Haircut, lunch pail, and new shoes: Opening Doors to School Readiness for Latino Children and their Parents

Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors is an evidence-based program developed by and for Latino parents of young children to address opportunity gaps related to young Latino children.

Historical, Sociopolitical and Mental Health Implications of Forcibly Separations in Young Migrant Latin American Children and Their Families

This article addresses immigration as a psychosocial event and describes the different stages of the immigration process, when immigration becomes traumatic, and how each immigration stage can place vulnerable Latin American families, at high risk for traumatic stress. The authors explore pre-migration experiences and the factors bringing young families to cross the United States– Mexico border.

Related Resources for Parents

Distillation

Multilingualism: Multiple Benefits

Multilanguage learners (MLLs) are children learning two (or more) languages at the same time. Multilingualism has multiple benefits.

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Taking Two Languages to Preschool: Supporting Children who are Dual Language Learners

Partnering with a bilingual child’s teachers can help to ensure that the child’s language skills continue to grow, along with her connections to family, community and culture.

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Dual Language Development: Double the Benefit

Learning two languages from birth changes the way a child’s brain is wired—just one of the many gifts that bilingualism offers to young children.

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Who Am I? Sharing Picture Books that Nurture Positive Self-Identity

Diverse children's books offer young children a world where characters look like them and relatable stories. This shows them their lives are worthy of being celebrated.

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Using Stories to Nurture Identity

How can parents help construct positive self-identity in children? Read more about using stories to nurture identity.

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More than half of babies being born today are children of color.

We are committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion for babies, toddlers and their families.