Children of migrant farmworkers are impacted by a mobile lifestyle that creates discontinuity of
schooling, social and cultural isolation, extreme poverty, and poor health. Many migrant children
also need supports to assist them with becoming proficient in English to succeed in school.
They have unique needs that differ from those of the general school population in the US, often
lacking school readiness skills, starting school at an older age than non-migrant students, never
having been enrolled in school previously, or having attended only a few years of elementary
school (Chavkin & González, 2000). These factors are compounded by issues of social
isolation, the need for knowledge about how to access community resources and postsecondary
education, and the need for creative ways to involve their parents who work long
hours to support the family.