104 Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services | www.familiesinsociety.org | Copyright 2005 Alliance for Children and Families A ccording to the 2000 census, the Latino population liv- ing in the United States increased by 58% over 10 years, growing from 22.4 million in 1990 to 35.3 mil- lion in 2000 (Schmidley, 2001). As their presence in the United States grows, Latinos are relocating in many areas of the country that have not been traditional destinations for new Latino immigrants, such as the South and the Midwest. As a result, health and social service providers, in both tradi- tional and new receiving communities, are working with increasing numbers of Latino clients. To better serve these cli- ents, helping professionals will need to develop an under- standing of the risk and protective factors for Latino youth. In particular, because the largest percentage of Latinos living in the United States are immigrants or children of immigrants (Hernandez, 1997; Suárez-Orozco & Suárez-Orozco, 2001), service providers will need to understand the risk and protec- tive factors associated with migration and acculturation. Research suggests that Latino youth face multiple threats to their well-being, including substance use, poor school functioning, and early adult role-taking. These risks may be particularly acute for children who immigrate later in child- hood, especially during adolescence (Portes & Rumbaut, 2001). Despite these risks, additional research suggests that new immigrant Latino families possess certain cultural atti- tudes and norms that are protective against the many risks that accompany immigration. In this article, we summarize findings regarding the well- being of Latino youth on domains important to function- ing later in life. The summary is followed by a discussion of the psychosocial risks that threaten the successful adapta- tion of Latino youth in immigrant families and the protec- tive factors that facilitate their adaptation.We argue that the understanding of risk and resiliency among Latino youth can be improved if it is embedded in an ecological frame- work that more fully accounts for the challenges of immi- gration. Based on this argument, a framework is proposed to guide helping professionals in assessing the needs of Latino youth. LATINO YOUTH The Well-Being of Immigrant Latino Youth: A Framework to Inform Practice Mimi V. Chapman & Krista M. Perreira ABSTRACT All families must confront positive and negative influences when raising children. This challenge is greater for new immigrants, who must negotiate the additional influences of culture and environ- ment and incorporate their family history into their life in a new country. This article summarizes findings regarding the well-being of Latino youth on domains important to functioning later in life (e.g., mental health, substance use, school functioning, early adult role-taking). The summary is fol- lowed by a discussion of the psychosocial risks that threaten the successful adaptation of Latino youth in immigrant families and the protective factors that facilitate their adaptation. A framework of practice guidelines and case applications is proposed to guide helping professionals in assessing the needs of Latino youth.