Young Dual Language Learners (DLLs) make up close to one-third of young children in the United States. Yet identifying DLLs across mixed-delivery early childhood systems can be challenging due to the often-fragmented nature of service delivery. Research shows that supporting children’s literacy and content knowledge in their home language facilitates English language acquisition and overall school readiness. So identification at an early age can be crucial for future educational success. 

In this session, experts from California will share how they are advancing DLL identification through expanded use of Family Language Surveys and interview tools across early learning programs administered by the state’s education and social services agencies. Representatives from the California Department of Education, the California Department of Social Services, and Early Edge California will discuss how they are working together to align identification policies, strengthen DLL data collection, and build workforce support for systematic implementation of identification practices that make DLL children visible and help improve the quality of program services they receive.