Abriendo Puertas / Opening Doors Network

Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors is a school readiness program that strengthens the leadership and advocacy skills of low-income, primarily Spanish-speaking parents with children ages 0 to 5. The program consists of ten sessions, often taught at Head Start Centers, that are each based around a saying that provides a framework for instruction. In these sessions, parents learn about goal setting, communication, developmental milestones, health and nutrition, being their child's first teacher, and other essential parenting knowledge and skills. The curriculum is centered on the cultural values, strengths, and experiences of Latino families. Local community leaders learn how to facilitate the sessions for parents in their neighborhood through a three-day training.

Abriendo Puertas, developed for and by Latino parents, aims to increase the number of Latino children in the United States that enter school ready to learn and be able to succeed in life by building the capacity and confidence of parents to be strong advocates in the lives of their children.

Since its inception in 2007, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors has reached more than 22,000 families in 31 states and Puerto Rico. In an independent evaluation of 109 participating parents in Los Angeles County, Abriendo Puertas was found to significantly increase parenting confidence, social support, and knowledge of available health services and how to access them. A larger evaluation of 623 parents participating in sessions across six states measured significant increases in parents' knowledge of children's early learning and development, children's social-emotional skills and development, children's language and literacy development, school preparation, health knowledge, parenting knowledge, education advocacy, parenting confidence and general confidence.