Presents different approaches to improving the well-being of children of immigrant families in the United States. Policymakers and analysts disagree about whether legal non-citizens should have the same eligibility for public assistance as citizens, with some focusing on tying food stamp eligibility to work and others seeking to make public assistance available to citizens and non-citizens alike when they lose their jobs and need help to reenter the workforce and meet their basic needs. Approaches to expanding early childhood education programming to children of immigrant families include allowing states more flexibility in how they use federal funds for preschool programs, expanding federal support for care and education of both older and younger children, and improving the instructional practices of schools attended by immigrant children. Ways to enhance the earning potential of immigrant parents range from expanding access to higher education and promoting labor force advancement, to giving legal immigrants the same Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) eligibility as citizens, to encouraging the development of integrated training programs that combine job training and language acquisition. Policymakers and analysts can find common ground in systems that support working families, expand early education opportunities, and aid in English language acquisition.
