A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Audience Families with young children (birth to 7 years of age). Families utilizing the services of the program have typically experienced difficulties in early adolescence such as teen pregnancy, single-parent homes, poverty, low literacy skills, high school dropouts, abusive relationships, and low self-esteem. Many of these adults are striving to "break the chain" for themselves and their children--to raise their educational level in order to receive better opportunities in the working world and to give their children an "even start" with their peers in school.

Description Even Start offers families integrated educational opportunities through a Family Learning Center, home-based activities, and collaborative services of community organizations and agencies. The model provides teaching and learning strategies that focus on family strengths and needs. The Family Learning Center (FLC) provides a setting that combines adult education, early childhood and parent education, and parent-child interaction. Adult activities include basic education, GED studies and computer skills, parenting or life skills and pre-employability instruction. Educational activities for children are designed to develop pre-literacy skills, such as social interaction and language development. Parent and child activities can be duplicated at home and include reading, drawing, story-telling, arts and crafts, and others. Home-based instruction supports the belief that families function as a unit and that attention must be focused on the child's home environment. Families receive 4 to 8 visits/year and parent-child activities, child activities, and parenting resource materials are taken into the home. Collaborative services are combined efforts with community agencies and organizations that ensure providing families with comprehensive services. Examples of the types of agencies and organizations that are brought into collaborative efforts are hospitals, legal services, churches, community colleges, and local universities. Support services include door-to-door transportation, meals, information and referrals, center and home-based counseling, and special family events/field trips. Webster Groves Even Start addresses National Educational Goals 1 and 6.

Evidence of Effectiveness Claims of effectiveness were evaluated by data collected on test scores, self-reports, and participant ratings by parent educators. Results showed that adults attending the FLC showed significant increases in passing the GED and parenting knowledge and skills. Those parents who were active in the program took more responsibility for their child's growth and development and achieved their personal goals. Outcomes for children showed that those attending the FLC significantly increased their receptive vocabulary and were equal to other children in preschool skills when they entered kindergarten.

Requirements School or related facility adequate to serve 15-30 families (including GED education room, computer lab with at least 7 computers and software, infant, toddler and Pre-K classrooms, and adequate office space); staff (program coordinator, secretary, parent educators, family educator, family advocate, early childhood classroom teachers, and aides to staff 4 classrooms, computer instructor, and ABE/GED instructor); a home component consisting of 4-8 home visits/year; seven days of training in family literacy, home visitations, and developing a Family Learning Center; follow-up training sessions in operating a FLC; and continuing inservice of staff.

Costs Costs include personnel (approximately 10 full and part-time); materials and supplies; training; and services (e.g., meals, rent and utilities, travel, etc.). Estimated costs for the start-up and follow-up years are approximately $200,000/year based on servicing approximately 50 families per year.

Services Initial training (7 days) is provided by the Webster Groves Family Learning Center Coordinator and a trained staff member; follow-up sessions (two 2-day sessions) are conducted by one staff person.

Contact

Diane Givens, Coordinator, 9153 (R) Manchester, Rock Hill, MO 63119. (314) 968-5354, FAX (314) 963-6411.

Developmental Funding: U.S. ED ESEA Even Start and local sources.
PEP No. 94-16 (5/1/94)

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[P.I.A.G.E.T. (Promoting Intellectual Adaptation Given Experiential Transforming), Project]

[Cognitively Oriented Pre-Primary Experience (COPE)]