For Hispanic children, the challenges of family poverty, cultural differences, and language proficiency are often interrelated and pose significant barriers to academic and personal success. The roots of the academic achievement gap are formed early in life; by age five, Hispanic children are, on average, four to five months behind white children in pre-reading skills, and this gap at kindergarten entry accounts for over 80% of the gap in reading skills between white and Hispanic fourth grade students. This brief is based on the data collected from a pilot study on Hispanic children and their access to early care education (ECE) in Washington, DC, that was completed in concert with DC Action for Children in the spring of 2014. It draws on existing research, census and school data, reports from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and interviews with early childhood practitioners, administrators, and government officials with experience serving the Hispanic community. These interviews allowed for an exploration of the barriers to Hispanic access that are harder to quantify, or analyze through data alone, like cultural values.