A new report by Action for Children, Latino Children in North Carolina, presents both good and bad news.

Today, Latino children are doing a little bit better than three years ago on many of the indicators included in the repor. And, the report notes:

“There are strong protective factors in the Latino community that help offset risks for children. Most Latino babies are born healthy and thrive. Latino children and youth are positively engaged with their families and have high self-esteem. Most Latino children have at least one parent who works.”

But more importantly, too many Latino children in North Carolina are denied access to health care, high quality education, safety, and family economic security. The report finds:

“That Latino children in North Carolina are more likely than the overall child population of the state to live in poverty or low-income and suffer from food insecurity, even though most Latino children in our state live with parents who work. On average, Latino parents have less education, lower wages and fewer worker protections than white parents.

The report also finds that low-income status and other barriers to health care access mean that a greater percentage of Latino children lack health insurance coverage, a medical home and a regular dental clinic, and fewer Latina mothers receive adequate prenatal care than in the general population.

Latino youth in North Carolina are more likely than the general child population to feel unsafe at school. Latino youth are also more likely to score below “proficient” on end-of-grade tests and eventually drop out of school.”

Read the report.