Education

Immigration Audit Leaves Preschool Chain With Staff Shortage

By Julie Blair — July 18, 2013 1 min read
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More than 40 percent of the workforce at a popular Spanish-immersion child-care and preschool chain in the Twin Cities has been caught up in a federal immigration flap.

Some 60 teachers and staff members opted to take paid leave from the Jardin Magico chain following a routine U.S. Department of Homeland Security audit requesting documentation of legal employment, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on July 16.

No arrests have been made, the newspaper stated, and the chain’s owners are cooperating with authorities.

According to its website, the chain has five schools and offers a full Spanish-immersion program plus natural and organic meals. It says it also uses cloth diapers for babies in keeping with its commitment to environmentalism.

The website also states that the curriculum meets some standards articulated by the Washington-based National Association for the Education of Young Children.

To read the an open letter from the owners of the Jardin Magico chain printed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, click here.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Early Years blog.