Meredith Corp. announced this morning that it will create the largest Spanish-language consumer magazine in the United States by combining Healthy Kids en Español with market-leading parenthood publication Ser Padres.

A relaunched Ser Padres will be available on Jan. 11, 2008. Ser Padres will now publish eight times a year and will increase its rate base by 40 percent to 700,000 readers.

“Ser Padres was first to market in the Hispanic parenting space and has been a trusted resource for more than 17 years,” said Ruth Gaviria, executive director of Meredith Hispanic Ventures. “Now, we are growing the brand and offering a superior publication to readers and advertisers. Readers will get more culturally relevant editorial that focuses on the well-being of the Hispanic family, including finances, health, family activities and meal planning.”

The magazine will change editorially to present more concise articles for multitasking parents and feature pieces on heritage, values, education and signature sections such as “Profile of a Hispanic Mom.” Ser Padres will also feature new sections on home décor, pregnancy news, women’s health and shopping guides.