Tomorrow, we're expecting to see the first detailed demographic profiles of Arkansas from the 2010 Census.

Statewide, we know that the number of Latino children under 18 in Arkansas has grown 134 percent since 2000. Latino children now make up 11 percent of all Arkansas children. We're eager to get the community-level data to see where this growth has occurred.

We know for certain that the growth is good for these communities. Nationally, nine out of 10 Latino children are natural-born citizens. They are our future voters, workforce and leaders. Most live in two-parent families who value education, community, service and hard work.

As many as half a million Latino children in America will turn 18 each year during the next decade. By 2050, they'll make up a third of our workforce.

We need to make sure that all Arkansas children have access to the health and education services that they qualify for, including ARKids First health insurance and the Arkansas Better Chance preschool program.

If we ensure that all children, including Latino children, are healthy and have the opportunities to perform well in school and in careers, our families-and state-will enjoy long-term economic security.