New Michigander Carolina Cruz says the hardest part of her transition from Colombia has been trying to get to know people in the city when her family is relatively isolated. Finding child care means independence and socialization for both Cruz and her two-year-old daughter, but Detroit's waiting lists are long.  

"These are the skills that will carry them through life," says Jaletha Smith, a social-emotional coach at PEDALS. "They'll know how to handle and deal with certain challenges and traumas they might face. And if they have that social-emotional piece, the cognitive— that'll be easy for them to pick up. But you first have to have those skills to be able to sit down, listen, and follow directions to get to that."