Within a week, the rotten teeth had been removed and the child s gums are no longer bleeding. One of the growing problems, Figueroa explained, is that many Hispanic families don t have legal status which disqualifies them from some programs. That provides a unique challenge. They have needs, but can t go through normal channels, she said. It s very time consuming to look for unconventional sources because some programs are closed to these families, she said.
Delta works with schools and other agencies to overcome the barriers.
The agency really supports these families, she said. Figueroa provided a wide range of help for the Head Start program. She, and other bilingual specialists, translated the newsletter for families into Spanish. She attended parent meetings to translate and make sure parents that do not speak English can voice their opinions and have a vote. She worked with teachers that do not speak Spanish to make sure they know a few basic phrases a child might use to explain he is hungry, or hurts, or needs to go to the bathroom.