I'm posting this here to show the stats. Oh boy.... I've been told that many of these young children have been born in the United States as well. United Way has kindly stepped in to help Waukegan combat these startling stats.

Illinois Early Learning Center Targets Spanish Speakers
By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/11/2008 9:42:00 PM

The Waukegan Public Library in Illinois has opened an Early Learning Center (ELC) located adjacent to the children’s area at the library’s main downtown location. The cutting edge, 2,200 square foot facility features interactive, bilingual displays and programs.

The impetus for this effort came from a 2006 United Way survey that showed only 43 percent of Waukegan kindergarteners attended preschool and that 77 percent spoke Spanish as their primary language. Further, over half of the children surveyed had little or no exposure to books before entering public school.

“I was astounded by the percentages,â€