Parenting Behavior, Health, and Cognitive Development among Children in Black Immigrant Families: Comparing the United States and the United Kingdom

Racial disparities in child development in the United States are significant, with a particularly pronounced disadvantage among Black children. This report focuses on the development of children of Black immigrants, comparing against the outcomes for their peers in native-born and other immigrant families, as well as to children of Black immigrants in the United Kingdom, where there is a notably different policy context of reception.

The largely similar direction and magnitude of parenting and development patterns among Black children in immigrant families across the two countries is notable — numerous differences in policies related to immigration, health care, governmental support for new parents, and social services would suggest substantial cross-country variation.

The author's analysis represents a first step toward understanding what underlies the relative advantages and disadvantages experienced by Black immigrant families. The findings suggest that the development of children in Black immigrant families exhibits both favorable and disadvantaged patterns, as do these children’s social integration in their host societies.