Improving early education for the children of migrant workers and immigrants living on the Arizona-Mexico border has a cross-border solution. In October 2006, five educational institutions and community agencies in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, and Yuma County, Arizona, met for the first time and established a unique partnership to improve early education for children of migrant workers and immigrants. This new initiative, “Children without Borders” or “Niños sin Fronteras,” is supported by the Yuma Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Arizona Community Foundation.

The partners are La Universidad Pedagó:gica Nacional, San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora; Arizona Western College Early Childhood Education Program; Child and Family Resources; Arizona Early Intervention Program/Arizona’s Children Association, in Yuma; AZ, Gadsden School District in San Luis, AZ; and Campesinos Sin Fronteras in Somerton.

“Children without Borders” is working to build relationships between the participating educational agencies to increase cultural understanding and to support the early care and education of young children. Encouraging comprehensive child development in border communities through academic exchange between educational staff is a top priority of this project. The partners are taking the necessary steps to provide educational resources for family childcare providers on both sides of the border.

This innovative approach to cross-border issues is designed to help children ages zero to five receive the nurture, education and family support they need at this critical age. Poverty intensifies the educational disadvantages already faced by migrant workers’ and immigrants’ children. The “Children without Borders” program is working to create a strong bi-national connection between educational institutions in order to provide a continuum of early educational support to children. Immigrants’ and migrant workers’ families face social, cultural and economic challenges that impact their ability to support their children’s acculturation and educational advancement.

When families leave Mexico, they lose their connection to social services, culture and community or family childcare support. Once in the United States, families with young children are often unable to access any type of childcare, preschool, or child development support. These children are more likely to enter school missing critical language skills and early education, which negatively affects their future academic outcomes and educational attainment.