For the first time in 10 years, the number of births in Colorado has declined – and most future growth will come from families migrating from other states or countries, according to a report released Tuesday.
The study by the Colorado Children’s Campaign estimated there were 50,000 foreign-born children in the state in 2004, as well as another 30,000-40,000 undocumented immigrant children.
About 97 percent of the state’s total child population of 1.1 million are U.S. citizens, according to the report.
“Regardless of public-policy debates, we need to realize that the majority of these children are U.S. citizens and have the same rights and responsibilities that all us citizens have,” Van Schoales, interim president of the advocacy group. “It is time for Colorado government and the private sector to take a pro-active approach and ensure that these kids, most of them U.S. citizens, do not grow up facing a lifetime of poverty.”
The report outlined a number of trends that impact child health, poverty, parental education, and exposure to and proficiency in the English language.
“At the most basic level, it helps to have programs in terms of education and support programs that are going to be culturally sensitive,” said Matt Barry, a research officer for the Piton Foundation.
A recent study by the Denver-based foundationshowed that more than half of Denver’s newborns are born to Latino women.
Children made up about 16 percent of the approximately 250,000 undocumented immigrants living in the state, according to the Colorado Children’s Campaign report.
Children in immigrant families are more likely than children in U.S.-born families to live in two-parent homes, Schoales said.
In Colorado, 77 percent of children in immigrant families live in married-couple families, compared with 68 percent of children in U.S.-born families, according to the report.
More than one-third of the state’s children in immigrant families live in households where no parent has completed high school.
Nearly half the children in immigrant families live in households that spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, according to the report.
“It would suggest that it’s important that we continue developing a culturally competent curriculum in our public schools that teaches immigrant families about their history, their legacy and what their footprint is on Colorado,” said Lionel Washington, legislative policy organizer for Colorado Progressive Coalition.
The report said there was a decrease of more than 800 births in Colorado – to 68,475 – between 2003 and 2004, the first decrease of its kind since 1993.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-820-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com.
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