Early Head Start serves newborns through toddlers. It is an offshoot of Head Start, the 44-year-old federal program for low-income children ages 3 through 5. Social scientists studying brain development and emotional growth increasingly identify early education as critical to preparing children for kindergarten. As well, researchers have linked it to a host of longer-term benefits to society, such as higher employment and lower crime rates. President Obama, arguing that early education is key to raising academic achievement, advanced new investments, including $1.1 billion in stimulus funds for Early Head Start, $1 billion for Head Start, and $8 billion for state early learning grants. But as the investment in early education increases nationwide, advocates express concern that Latino children may not reap the full benefits. Latino children are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population and, according to a study commissioned by the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics, will comprise more than a quarter of Americans 8 and younger by 2030. The good news, according to a 2006 survey conducted by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, is that Latino families value early education, and 96 percent said they would send their children to publicly funded programs if they were available. But parents must navigate a patchwork of programs, including Head Start, preschools, nursery schools and day care. The choices may be public or private; free, subsidized or pricey; educational or not.