Dual Language Learners

California’s Early Learning and Care system must continue to develop adequate programs and resources to support DLL children in their learning and development.

Dual Language Learners (DLLs) are children, ages birth to five, whose first language is a language other than English or who are developing two or more languages, one of which may be English. This diverse group of young learners represents a wide range of races, ethnicities, cultures, home languages, socioeconomic statuses, and countries of origin. Making up nearly 60% of children birth to age 5 in California, they must be prioritized within the state’s Early Learning and Care system.

Significant progress has been made recently in shifting narratives and policies in our state to uplift and embrace the benefits of bilingualism and supports for bilingual children. In 2016, Proposition 58, the California Education for a Global Economy Initiative, overturned nearly 20 years of English-only instruction in public schools, embracing bilingualism as a valuable asset. Additional policies such as Global California 2030, the California English Learner (EL) Roadmap, and the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, declare biliteracy as a state goal and strongly promote multilingual learning opportunities. In addition, Early Edge and partners have successfully advocated for budget investments and legislation to better support DLL children in Early Learning and Care settings.

However, there’s much more to be done to fully support and unlock the potential of DLL children. The first five years of a child’s life are particularly crucial for their health, learning, and future success. Research shows that a strong foundation in the home language not only enhances English learning but also fosters proficiency in both languages. California’s Early Learning and Care system must prioritize their cultural and linguistic strengths, expand bilingual programs, and the bilingual educator workforce to promote the overall development of DLL children.

THE IMPACTS

A lack of access to high-quality early learning and supports for early bilingual development hinders California’s multilingual children from reaching their full potential.

On Children

When DLL children lack the support they need, they miss the opportunity to fully harness the cognitive, academic, and social benefits of multilingualism, limiting their language development, learning, and long-term academic success.

On Families

When DLL families aren’t meaningfully engaged, children lose vital connection between home and school, hindering their language development, cultural identity, and the foundation for their academic success.

Dual Language Learners Impact on Family and Child

On Families

Current federal attacks on immigrant communities are creating fear and instability for many families and increased student absences. With 65% of DLL children having at least one foreign-born parent these activities have the potential to hinder these young learners’ opportunities to develop in healthy, supportive environments.

dual-langage-learners-impact-on-educators

On Providers and Educators

When educators and providers lack the training and resources to support DLLs, children miss critical opportunities to nurture their language acquisition, cultural assets, and overall learning potential.

PRIORITY ACTIONS

Opportunities to Support Dual Language Learners

Our state must prioritize the cultural and linguistic strengths of California’s DLLs by affirming bilingualism and the home languages of all children. Here are the priority actions we’re currently advocating for to make this a reality:

Equip and empower educators with the knowledge and tools to effectively support children who speak Black (English) Language.

Black Language–also known as African American Vernacular or Ebonics–is a rule-governed language with deep roots in Black communities across the United States. Supporting and honoring children’s home languages, including Black Language, supports their overall academic success. We must therefore affirm and celebrate Black Language as an asset that enriches children’s linguistics repertoire and cultural development.

Support asset-based identification and data collection of DLLs, as outlined in AB 393 and AB 1363, to ensure they receive appropriate services as well as support in both their home language and English.

In collaboration with CDE and CDSS, provide the field with clear guidance, aligned resources, and ongoing technical assistance to support effective and consistent implementation across programs. In addition, ensure DLL identification data is included in the Cradle-to-Career (C2C) data system.This data is critical for understanding program participation, measuring outcomes, and ensuring resources are effectively targeted to support DLLs across programs.

Support the expansion of bilingual programs beginning in the earliest years of learning and strengthen the bilingual educator pipeline to ensure young DLLs have consistent access to high-quality programs.

Although 94% of families with multilingual children value bilingualism for their children, access to bilingual and dual-language programs remains limited in many communities. Expanding these programs supports the developmental benefits of bilingualism and honors children’s home languages, and aligns with the goals of the state’s English Learner Roadmap. In addition, the state must advance the bilingual specialization within the Child Development Permit to create a more prepared, diverse, and responsive workforce. Embracing and fostering California’s diversity demonstrates that, despite the federal push for English-only policies, we will remain a leader in fostering and celebrating our linguistic diversity.

Learn more about all our policy priorities in our 2026 policy agenda.

Early Edge California

California’s Early Learning and Care system must continue to develop adequate programs and resources to support DLL children in their learning and development.

A lack of access to high-quality early learning and supports for early bilingual development hinders California’s multilingual children from reaching their full potential.

On Children

On Families

On Families

On Providers and Educators

Support for Multilingual Children

Opportunities to Support Dual Language Learners

Equip and empower educators with the knowledge and tools to effectively support children who speak Black (English) Language.

Support asset-based identification and data collection of DLLs, as outlined in AB 393 and AB 1363, to ensure they receive appropriate services as well as support in both their home language and English.

Support the expansion of bilingual programs beginning in the earliest years of learning and strengthen the bilingual educator pipeline to ensure young DLLs have consistent access to high-quality programs.

Our Latest Work to Support Dual Language Learners

Advocacy

Resources We’ve Developed

Ways You Can Support Dual Language Learners

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