One of Only Five Organizations Selected Nationwide, ALAS to Pilot New Model with Stanford University School of Medicine Centered on "Cultura Cura"

Out of more than 300 applicants, Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) was selected as one of only five organizations in the U.S. to receive a prestigious $200,000 national research grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to advance the Colibrí Child Wellness Program (CCWP). CCWP is a community-driven initiative developed in partnership with Stanford University School of Medicine. ALAS will lead a pilot through the Early Childhood Systems Alignment Initiative (ECSA) to improve access to integrated, culturally responsive early childhood clinical and developmental care for Latino and farmworker families on California’s San Mateo County Coastside.

This collaboration is led in partnership with the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics team at Stanford University School of Medicine. The initiative builds on more than a decade of trauma-informed, culturally grounded work and seeks to redesign fragmented early childhood systems by centering trusted community infrastructure – local parents, farmworkers, and educators who are trained in research design and meet biweekly to co-develop and approve all research activities. Guided by the principle of cultura cura (“culture cures”), the program directly addresses systemic barriers in early childhood care, including language inaccessibility, fragmented referrals, disinvestment in clinical infrastructure, and institutional distrust.

"This national recognition affirms what our families and community have always known: when care is rooted in culture, trust, and belonging, children thrive,” said Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, EdD, LCSW, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ALAS. “Latino and farmworker families have faced systemic barriers to early developmental care for far too long. Through this partnership, we are building a model that meets families where they are—from the clinic to the community to the farm fields—so every child has the opportunity to flourish.”

“This work represents a new model for how early childhood systems can be built—with families, apart from them,” said Dr. Annie Berens, MD, Director of Research at ALAS. “Our partnership with Stanford integrates clinical care, developmental screening, and family support in ways that honor culture, language, and lived experience.”

“It is not enough to simply offer life-changing programs for our families,” said Antonio López, Associate Director of Research & Advocacy at ALAS. “This moment calls for research-driven interventions that help us to better understand the crises our families face, and how to best assist them.”

From Pilot to Practice

The Colibrí Child Wellness Program expands an earlier ALAS–Stanford pilot (PRIMES) into a full-spectrum clinical model that delivers bilingual developmental screenings, speech and occupational therapy, behavioral care, Early Start referrals, and parenting support both on-site and via the ALAS Equity Express Bus, which reaches geographically and linguistically isolated farmworker families. The study will enroll families participating in the intervention and families receiving standard care through clinical pipelines and regional center referrals. Mixed-methods research will assess feasibility, acceptability, and early indicators of systems-level impact, including piloting the Measure of Immigration-related Stress, Trauma, and Strengths in Children (MIST-C).

Sustained community support ensures families can continue receiving care without cost barriers. To help expand access and meet growing needs, donate or learn more at www.alasdreams.com.

About Systems for Action

Systems for Action is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that aims to discover and apply new evidence about ways of aligning the delivery and financing systems that support a Culture of Health.

About Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)

RWJF is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. To get there, we must work to dismantle structural racism and other barriers to health. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, we work side-by-side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to get to health equity faster and pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

About Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS)

Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) is a Latino-led, community-based organization in Half Moon Bay dedicated to advancing the health, cultural leadership, and resilience of Latino and farmworker families. ALAS provides bilingual mental health services, early childhood and parent education programs, cultural arts, community organizing, and mobile outreach through the ALAS Equity Express Bus, which brings care directly to families in isolated agricultural regions. Founded in 2011, ALAS is rooted in the belief that cultura cura (“culture cures”) and that community wellness grows from trust, dignity, and belonging. For more information, please visit: www.alasdreams.com

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