Social justice in health for children of Latino day laborers: The experience of parents

Children of Latino day laborer parents are at risk for disparities of health through economic difficulty and unstable living conditions related to the temporary, low wage nature of the work of their parents. While the majority of migrants who work as day laborers are male and come without family, an estimated 30% of these households include family members and children.

Objectives: This study used participatory action research with Latino day laborer parents to 1) explore their experience of caring for the health of their children, 2) identify strategies for change, and 3) actualize change as directed by participants.

Method: Latino day laborer parents and community stakeholders were identified from community sites including a day laborer center, community crisis center and child development center. Two focus groups were conducted with parent participants and interviews were conducted community stakeholders. (N=30) Barriers to health for children and changes needed were identified by the participants. Community action strategies including health forums, family support, and increased access to healthcare were indentified.

Findings: Findings revealed themes of difficulty accessing healthcare, the perception of poor healthcare, and experiences of fear. Multiple layers of uncertainty characterized the experience of the Latino day laborer family participants as they care for the health of their children in the context of economic instability, cultural dissonance, family isolation, immigration, acculturation and difficult access to healthcare. Findings give insight into the experience of Latino day laborer parents and inform strategies for the community. Community based participatory action research provides a means to address the concerns of day laborer parents