This study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention designed to align medical, public health, and social service systems to support integrated, culturally responsive early childhood care for Latino and farmworker families residing in California’s northern coast in order to prevent and manage early childhood developmental delays and disabilities. The intervention is designed to disrupt systemic racism in early childhood systems that limits access to care for minority communities—including language inaccessibility, fragmented referrals, disinvestment in clinical infrastructure, and institutional distrust—by redesigning access points around trusted community infrastructure. The intervention offers Latino and farmworker families developmental screenings, clinical care and care navigation, speech and occupational therapy, behavioral care, Early Start referrals, and bilingual parenting supports delivered both on-site and via a mobile unit reaching geographically and linguistically isolated farmworker families. The intervention was developed through a research-practice partnership between the community-based nonprofit Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) and the Stanford University School of Medicine.   

A mixed-method research design was developed with the ALAS Community Advisory Board, composed of local parents, farmworkers, and educators who are trained in research design and meet biweekly to co-develop and approve all research activities. The study will recruit approximately 60 families with children under age five who participate in the intervention and screen positive for developmental or behavioral concerns, along with a comparison group of 30 families recruited from Stanford’s standard clinic pipeline and regional center referrals, representing usual clinical care pathways. The study will analyze quantitative data collected from program records including screening completion rates, referral follow-through, service initiation time, and number of coordinated visits received per child. Qualitative data collected via caregiver surveys and interviews will capture family narratives, implementation experiences, and perceived value of services. Additionally, the study will pilot the Measure of Immigration-related Stress, Trauma, and Strengths in Children (MIST-C) to assess its relevance and responsiveness to the intervention.

Principal Investigator: 
Annie Berens, MD
Director of Research, Ayudando Latinos a Soñar

Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, EdD, LCSW
Executive Director and Founder, Ayudando Latinos a Soñar
Assistant Professor, Counseling Psychology Department, University of San Francisco

Project Details:

Year: 2025
Funding Amount: $200,000
Status: Active