Wrap-Around Support Services for the Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Student and School Belonging

Wrap-Around Support Services for the Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Student and School Belonging Genesi Miles, Ed. M Immigrant students and families continue to navigate systemic barriers that limit equitable access to educational opportunities and meaningful school engagement. Language differences, racism, transportation challenges, childcare constraints, intimidation, and concerns related to legal status frequently hinder immigrant families’ participation in schools (Sibley & Brabek, 2017). In New Jersey, approximately one-third of immigrant parents live below 200 percent of the federal poverty line (Hofstetter & McHugh, 2021), further compounding these challenges. Despite these realities, many U.S. schools lack intentional planning to support immigrant populations, a gap that is not only shortsighted, but “profoundly harmful to both these students and the nation’s future” (Suárez-Orozco, Suárez-Orozco, & Todorova, 2008). The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how school-based wrap-around support services influence Spanish-speaking immigrant students’ sense of school belonging and family engagement in an elementary school setting. Wrap-around services are defined as an integrated, coordinated approach to supporting students and families through access to multiple supports and agencies, including education, health, mental health, and social services (Anderson-Butcher & Ashton, 2004). This study sought to understand the school experiences of students who participated in wrap-around services and programs, as well as the impact they had on family engagement. This study was grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory and García Coll et al.’s Integrative Model of Child Development, which together emphasize how interconnected systems shape children’s development. Bioecological Theory highlights the influence of multiple environmental layers, with this study focusing on the microsystem, including school, family, peers, and neighborhood contexts. Specifically, the research examined how interactions between school and family functioned as protective factors supporting immigrant students’ sense of school belonging. García Coll et al.’s Integrative Model addresses gaps in traditional developmental research by centering the experiences of children of color and examining how social position and contextual factors influence development. This study focused on promoting and inhibiting environments, particularly school-based wrap-around services, as key influences on student outcomes. Wrap-around services were examined as a promoting construct that supports belonging, engagement, and development, while neighborhood access and resources were considered as contextual factors that may either support or constrain growth. A qualitative case study methodology was employed to capture the lived experiences of Spanish-speaking immigrant students, their families, and school staff. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 11 upper elementary students, six parents/guardians, and five school staff members, as well as a comprehensive document review of school programs, services, and family engagement initiatives. Participation data from wrap-around programs and events further contextualized findings. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, including initial coding, cross-case analysis, and the development of overarching themes. Findings revealed that wrap-around services positively influenced students’ sense of school belonging by fostering trusting relationships, affirming cultural and linguistic identities, and providing inclusive spaces for social-emotional growth. Students consistently described feeling accepted, supported, and connected to peers and adults at school. Wrap-around services also enhanced family engagement by reducing structural barriers, repositioning families as valued partners, and transforming the school into a trusted community hub where multiple supports were accessible in one location. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding how intentionally designed, school-based wrap-around services can simultaneously promote student belonging and family engagement for immigrant populations. Findings suggest that when schools adopt holistic, culturally responsive, and relationship-centered approaches, wrap-around services function not as supplemental supports, but as essential structures for equity. Implications for practice include the need for needs-based program design, integrated service delivery, and sustained investment in relational and cultural responsiveness to better support immigrant students and families across educational contexts. Keywords: assets-based approach; English Language Learner; family engagement; immigrant students; multilingual learners; sense of belonging; Spanish-speaking students; support services; wrap-around services