Chapter 3
While many characteristics of Even Start participants have remained consistent since the program's inception, some of the major changes that have taken place involved participant demographics. The proportions of language-minority families as well as families headed by teen parents have increased substantially. These and other changes in participant characteristics have direct implications for Even Start program designs and service delivery.
In 1995-96 and 1996-97, adult participants were somewhat younger (28 years average) than those in 1994-95 (29 years average). As shown in Exhibit 3.2, teen parents constituted 9 percent of Even Start parents in 1994-95, but they increased to 11 percent and 13 percent in the subsequent two years.26,27 The increasing enrollment of teen parents was even more visible among the new families each year. Teen parents constituted 15 percent and 17 percent of new enrollees in 1995-96 and 1996-97, respectively.
Exhibit 3.2: Percent of Parents, by Age: 1994-95, 1995-96, and 1996-97 Participants
|
Exhibit reads: 9 percent of parents participating in Even Start in 1996-97 were 40 years or older. |
This demographic trend poses new challenges for service delivery. For example, because many of the teen parents may be within the compulsory high-school attendance age, this demographic change may necessitate greater collaboration with high schools and strengthening services for infants and toddlers. Information about teen parents will be highlighted in subsequent chapters that focus on Even Start services and families' participation outcomes.
Throughout the history of Even Start, a large majority (approximately 85 percent) of adult Even Start participants have been women, primarily the mothers of participating children.
Any child from birth through age 7 is eligible to receive the core services of the Even Start program. After a child reaches age 8, the parent may continue to participate in adult and parenting education until the parent is no longer eligible for services under the Adult Education Act or for two years, whichever comes first. Until then, a child who otherwise would be ineligible may continue to participate in appropriate project activities. Similarly, if a parent is no longer eligible for services because of educational advancement, the family may continue to participate in the program until all children in the family reach age 8. In this case, the parent may continue to participate in appropriate activities such as parenting education.
The average age of Even Start children has fluctuated over the years—from 4.3 years in 1989-90, to 3.7 years in 1992-93, 4.4 years in 1994-95, 3.8 years in 1995-96, and 4.2 years in 1996-97. Children in the 3- to 5-year-old age range have always constituted the largest group (42-47 percent, Exhibit 3.3). The fluctuations were due to shifting enrollment rates of very young children and school-age children. These changes may reflect, in part, the requirement, effective 1995-96, to target at least a three-year range of early childhood education services.
Exhibit 3.3: Percent of Participating Children, by Age: 1994-95, 1995-96, and 1996-97 Participants
|
Exhibit reads: 42 percent of children participating in Even Start in 1996-97 were between the ages of 3 and 5 years. |
The most noticeable recent trend has been a steady increase of infants and toddlers among new enrollees (even though the increase has not been large enough to substantially lower the overall average age of participating children). Thirty-six percent of children who enrolled in 1995-96 were under age 3; 38 percent of 1996-97 new children were under age 3 (not shown in exhibit). School-age children still within the Even Start eligible age range constituted 13 percent of 1996-97 enrollees, the same level as the year before.
The increase of infants and toddlers coincided with the increase of teen parents. Most (79 percent) of the children who enrolled in 1996-97 and who had teen parents were in the 0-2 age range (11 percent out of 14 percent, Exhibit 3.4). In contrast, infants and toddlers constituted about one-third (19 percent out of 54 percent) of all children who had 20-29-year-old parents. As for gender, boys and girls have been represented equally among Even Start children throughout the program's history.
Exhibit 3.4: Percent of Children, by Age and Age of Parents: 1996-97 New Enrollees
|
All |
Child Age in Years |
|||||
|
Parent Age |
Children |
0-2 |
3-4 |
5 |
6-7 |
8+ |
|
Less than 20 |
14% |
11% |
2% |
<1% |
<1% |
<1% |
|
20-29 years |
54% |
19% |
19% |
6% |
7% |
2 |
|
30-39 years |
27% |
6% |
9% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
|
40 or older |
6% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
|
Note: The percentages are based on 29,013 child records (new 1996-97 enrollees) with data for parent age and child age. In approximately 7 percent of all families that had multiple adults participating, the age of the first adult was used. Exhibit reads: Of all children who enrolled in 1996-97, 11 percent were younger than 3 years of age and had teen parents, while approximately 3 percent were older than 2 years and had teen parents. |
The composition of Even Start families has remained fairly consistent over the years—roughly one-half are two-parent families, nearly 40 percent headed by single parents, and about 10 percent are extended families.28 However, among the 1995-96 and 1996-97 new enrollees, there were slight increases in the proportion of extended families (14 percent and 16 percent, respectively) and a slight decrease in the percentage of single- and two-parent families (Exhibit 3.5).
Exhibit 3.5: Percent of Families by Family Structure: 1992-93 and 1994-95 Participants, 1995-96 and 1996-97 New Enrollees
| Exhibit reads: In 1996-97, 45 percent of families who enrolled in Even Start were two-parent families. |
These changes reflect the rising enrollment of teen parents and their living arrangements that diverge from the typical Even Start families of previous years. Projects reported that 41 percent of teen parents enrolling in 1996-97 were single parents, 25 percent were part of two-parent families, and 35 percent lived in extended families. These percentages, especially the higher percentage of extended families, differ substantially from the "traditional" Even Start family data. Further, 40 percent of the teens described as single parents reported having two or more adults living in their households.
Similar to the previous program year, the average Even Start household had 5.5 persons in 1996-97.29 The average number of children in Even Start families also remained stable over the last several years. Among the 1996-97 new enrollees, 43 percent had one child, and 35 percent had two children in the Even Start eligible age range—birth through age 7. Further, a large majority (94 percent) also had one or two children over age 7.30
The most common Even Start family structure was a couple, between the ages of 20 and 39, with two to four children. However, another large group of families was headed by single parents with two to four children.
Almost all adult participants, 97 percent, were the parents of participating children. In only a very small percentage of families, grandparents (1.6 percent) or other adults (1.9 percent) received Even Start services instead of children's parents.
Even Start families clearly represent the economically disadvantaged segment of the population. More than 80 percent of families enrolling in Even Start in the last two program years reported annual incomes below $15,000; over 40 percent of families earned and/or received annual incomes of less than $6,000 (Exhibit 3.6). On average, these families had five to six members in their households. The levels of income among Even Start families have remained consistent since 1992-93.31
Exhibit 3.6: Percent of Families, by Family Annual Income: 1994-95 Participants and 1995-96 and 1996-97 New Enrollees
|
Exhibit reads: 19 percent of families who enrolled in Even Start in 1996-97 had annual incomes below $3,000. |
Since the family income data were reported in income ranges (e.g., $3,000-$5,999), and because of the inconsistent references to family and household, we could not determine precisely whether a family was below the federal poverty level. However, using a "conservative" estimate based on the upper limits of these ranges (i.e., assuming that each family received the maximum of the income range it reported) and the number of people living in the same household, we estimated that 90 percent of Even Start families participating in 1996-97 had incomes at or below the federal poverty level. (The 1996 federal poverty level was $15,911 for a family of four.)
It is possible that the remaining 10 percent were mis-classified as being above the poverty level because of the conservative method we used in estimating this measure. We do know that 37 percent of parents thus classified did have limited English proficiency; 85 percent lacked a high school diploma or GED.
Among the families who enrolled in Even Start in 1996-97, 49 percent reported that their primary source of income was employment wages, while 43 percent relied on government assistance as their major source (Exhibit 3.7). The sources of income listed as "Other" included alimony and child support (2 percent) and various forms of government assistance such as Social Security, Supplementary Support Income (SSI), pensions and retirement benefits, and a combination of wages and government assistance (5.5 percent).
Exhibit 3.7: Percent of Families by Primary Source of Family Income: 1994-95 Participants and 1995-96 and 1996-97 New Enrollees
| Exhibit reads: 43 percent of families who enrolled in Even Start in 1996-97 relied primarily upon government assistance for income,a 4-percentage point decrease from 1995-96. |
Among the 1996-97 new families, 28 percent had annual incomes higher than $12,000 and most of their income was from job wages (Exhibit 3.8). Another 25 percent of new families also earned most of their incomes, but they received less than $12,000. Twenty-eight percent of new families received annual incomes of less than $6,000 which was mostly from government assistance.
Exhibit 3.8: Percent of Families, by Primary Source of Family Income and Income Level: 1996-97 New Enrollees
|
Note: Each percentage refers to all new families that enrolled in 1996-97. Exhibit reads: Among new families enrolling in 1996-97, 28 percent received |
It is too early to detect any significant impact of welfare reform on economic circumstances of Even Start families. There are some indications in the data that percentages of families that rely mostly on wages may be increasing and those relying mostly on government assistance decreasing (see Exhibit 3.7). However, the percentages of parents receiving public assistance at the time of intake (whether or not this was their primary source of income) have fluctuated somewhat in the last three years of the second evaluation: 44 percent of 1994-95 participants; 53 percent among parents enrolling in 1995-96; and 50 percent among 1996-97 new enrollees.
The level of Even Start family income from all sources has remained fairly stable over the last several years. However, reliance on government assistance among Even Start families may begin a gradual decline in coming years. A higher percentage of teen parents received public assistance at the time of intake in 1996-97 than did older parents (Exhibit 3.9). As the percentage of teen parents in Even Start rises, this may raise the percentage of families receiving government assistance. Simultaneously, however, a slight decline in receipt of government assistance was observed across all parent age groups (ranging 2-5 percentage points, Exhibit 3.9).
If the family income level remains consistently low but the receipt of public assistance declines, one possible explanation might be the impact of welfare reform. Because the changes in data are fairly slight and welfare reform is still relatively new in most states, it is premature for us to identify clear impacts. However, these trends should be monitored closely in the coming years.
Exhibit 3.9: Percent of 1995-96 and 1996-97 New Enrollees Receiving Government Assistanceat the Time of Enrollment, by Parent's Age
|
Exhibit reads: Among 1996-97 new enrollees, 42 percent of parents 40 years or older were receiving government assistance at the time of enrollment. |
Employment status is an important indicator of a family's capacity for self-sufficiency and likely will become more critical to Even Start participants in the context of welfare reform. Wages from employment represented the primary source of income for 49 percent of Even Start families who enrolled in 1996-97. However, only 26 percent of parents who enrolled in Even Start were employed at the time of intake (Exhibit 3.10). Further, 41 percent of families where participating parents were not employed reported job wages as their primary source of income.
Exhibit 3.10: Employment Status and Plans of Parents Who Enrolled in 1996-97, by Parent Age
|
Parents' Age in Years |
|||||
|
Employment Status/Plans |
All New Enrollees |
Less than 20 |
20 - 29 |
30 - 39 |
40 or Older |
|
Employed at enrollment: 26 percent of all 1996-97 new enrollees |
|||||
|
Full-time job |
14% |
5% |
13% |
20% |
20% |
|
Part-time job |
12% |
12% |
11% |
13% |
12% |
|
Job training program |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
<1% |
|
Not employed at enrollment: 73 percent of all 1996-97 new enrollees |
|||||
|
Enrolled in school or educational program |
35% |
51% |
35% |
27% |
23% |
|
Currently seeking job |
12% |
12% |
13% |
11% |
12% |
|
Currently not seeking employment |
24% |
18% |
26% |
25% |
24% |
|
Retired or disabled |
2% |
<1% |
1% |
3% |
10% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
|
Exhibit reads: 5 percent of teen parents who enrolled in Even Start in 1996-97 were working full-time at the time of enrollment. |
Recall that almost half of Even Start families were headed by couples. The seemingly contradictory data suggest that in many two-parent families, one parent (generally the mother) participates in Even Start, and the other parent earns most of the family income in wages.32
The rate of full-time employment among teen parents was below the rates for older parents (5 percent versus 13-20 percent) since many teens were attending high school. However, the teen parents were quite employment-oriented. They were as likely to be working part-time or seeking employment, and less likely to report not seeking employment, as older parents (Exhibit 3.10).
Footnotes:
25 The Even Start legislation specifies adult participants as parents who are eligible to receive adult education under the Adult Education Act or who are within the state's compulsory school attendance age range. If other caregivers serve as the parents of participating children, they are considered the children's parents within the context of Even Start.
26The 1996-97 evaluation findings are presented in comparison with findings from the previous program years. Because the 1994-95 evaluation did not collect data on the year of enrollment for each family, we could not distinguish the 1994-95 new enrollees and 1994-95 continuing participants. Thus, most of these comparisons involve data for new participants who enrolled in 1995-96 and 1996-97 and data for all program participants in 1994-95 to present possible changes in participant characteristics. The exhibit titles and the narrative text indicate the participant groups being compared. Exhibit titles with one program year in parentheses [e.g., (1996-97)] indicate that the data refer to all participants in the year indicated. Comparisons with findings from the first evaluation are based on data reported in the final report of that evaluation (St.Pierre et al., 1995). Although similar data on family characteristics were collected in both evaluations, changes in the data collection instruments and analytic methods prevented us from making precise comparisons for some issues.
27 Many of the exhibits presented in this report contain percentages that total to 99 or 101 percent due to rounding. Percentages referring to the total Even Start population may differ from the sum of percentages for subgroups due to rounding and/or greater prevalence of missing data in analyses involving various grouping variables (e.g., age and ethnicity of parents).
28 The term "Even Start family" in this report refers to the nuclear or extended family that includes at least one adult and one child participating in Even Start, and, in all but very unusual cases, living in the same household. (Not all individuals in the family necessarily participate in Even Start.) Our descriptions of Even Start family structures are likely to be approximations. The data collection form for the second evaluation did not clearly define the term "extended family." The term referred somewhat loosely to Even Start families that include additional family members beyond a single-parent or two-parent nuclear family unit living in the same household. The data did not allow us to parse out the possible overlap of a single-parent or a two-parent family living in an extended family. This issue should be kept in mind when interpreting findings involving family structure.
29 The slight increases in the percentage of extended families among families enrolling in the last two years of the evaluation did not affect the average household size across all participating families.
30 Although the percentage of teen parents has increased among new enrollees in the last two evaluation years, it is possible that the teens' households may have older children of other adults living in the household.
31 The income ranges used in the previous evaluation do not coincide exactly with the ranges used in the current evaluation.
32 The second national evaluation did not collect data on the employment or educational status of non-participating parents.
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 [Part 2: How Many Families Were Served in Even Start?] |
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 [Part 4: What Were the Even Start Participants' Needs for Educational Services?] |