Amid Growing Diversity of U.S. Young Child Population, Early Childhood Education and Care Programs & Schools Challenged in Addressing Multiple Languages and Cultures

WASHINGTON — Diversity is on the rise across the United States, where young children growing up with one or more parents speaking a language other than English at home now make up nearly one-third of the U.S. child population age 8 and under. With growing numbers of languages spoken in these homes and greater variation in origins, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, this “superdiversity” has significant implications for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs, schools and other systems that serve Dual Language Learners (DLLs).