| Hispanic Leaders are Driving Long-Term Change for Hispanic Kids
The Hispanic community in Philadelphia (and nationwide) deserves more attention than the alarming headlines about the Trump Administration’s targeted deportation and harassment tactics.
Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing demographic group and a MAJOR cultural and economic force, contributing to the diversity that actually makes America great.
In Philadelphia, there are nearly 70,000 children of Hispanic heritage. Hispanic families in the city are, overall, moving out of poverty, sending their children to early learning programs in high numbers, and spared from much of the city’s gun violence, according to the Children First report, Pa’lante – It’s Time to Move Forward: Improving the Lives of Philadelphia’s Hispanic Children.
While Hispanic parents work hard to care for their children, the child-serving health care and education institutions in Philadelphia are falling short. The Pa’lante report shows that a troubling 70% of Hispanic public school students are not on grade level in Math or English; 10% of Hispanic children are uninsured; and half of all Hispanic kids likely haven’t seen a dentist in the last year.
Moved to action by the research findings, Hispanic leaders across Philadelphia came together to build a long‑term, coordinated strategy to improve outcomes for Hispanic children and teens, including Children First Board President Javier Suarez.
“Children First is proud to lead this effort in deep partnership with Hispanic leaders across the city, because no single organization can solve the complex challenges facing young Hispanic people,” said Javier. “Pa’lante is about bringing our strengths together—community leadership, data, and advocacy—to build the conditions our children need to thrive.”
Their first step was to cultivate a Fellowship, a dedicated network of Hispanic stakeholders to do the work of reaching out to community members, reviewing the Pa’lante report recommendations, prioritizing issues, and assessing community strengths and resource gaps. Already the Pa’lante Fellowship is up and running with 19 members.
“I am honored to be selected as a Pa’lante Fellow and am eager to get the work started,” said Delitza Elena Hernandez Diaz. “I see Hispanic families every day who want the best for their children and the barriers that hold them back. It’s time to work together, align our goals, and make lasting change for children and our city.”
The next step is for Fellows to elicit feedback on the report recommendations from all sectors of the Philadelphia Hispanic community – advocates, direct service providers, educators, political leaders, and families themselves – and how to implement them. Further actions include designing an action agenda and mobilizing the community to put change into action.
Hispanic leaders and community members across southeastern Pennsylvania are invited to join the Pa’lante effort and help shape an Action Agenda. “There is still opportunity for people to get involved,” said Javier. “This is not a one-time project; this is an initiative that will keep building until we have foundational change that lifts opportunity for Hispanic children and teens.”
Join us. Contact palante@childrenfirstpa.org or visit https://childrenfirstpa.org/palante/.
|
