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New American Children
FCD's New American Children Initiative (NAC) aims to build a knowledge base about the well-being of young children living in immigrant families, how to best nurture and educate our newest Americans, and how to connect research with sound policies and practices to improve their life prospects.
An integral strategy of NAC is the Young Scholars Program. Launched in 2003, its goal is to stimulate research on the development of immigrant children from birth to age 10, particularly those living in low-income families, and to support and promote exceptional young scholars studying these issues.
An example of a key NAC project is FCD's creation of the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics. The 20-member Task Force addressed major educational challenges facing Hispanic children from birth through age eight. After identifying the most effective strategies for improving educational outcomes in the childhood education years for Hispanic students, the Task Force developed an agenda and recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, National Hispanic organizations, and other key parties.
Young Scholars Program
The Foundation for Child Development provides fellowship support through its Changing Faces of America's Children - Young Scholars Program, as a primary strategy of the New American Children Program.
Basic information about the developmental characteristics and needs of the nation's fastest growing child population - children living in immigrant families- remains sparse. The FCD fellowship supports young scholars to conduct research that aims to identify and understand the challenges faced by immigrant families and their children.