Even Start Family Literacy

Even Start is a comprehensive family literacy program intended to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy and improve the educational opportunity of low income families. These programs integrate early childhood education, adult literacy, and parenting education. North Carolina's Even Start Program focuses on the educational needs of the whole family. It supports the philosophy that the educational attainment of children and their parents are interrelated, and that improving the literacy skills of parents results in a positive effect on the educational experiences of their children.

North Carolina currently funds 14 projects: Ashe County, Asheboro City Schools, Bertie County, Burke County, Caldwell County, Craven County, Cumberland County, Greene County, Lee County, Lenoir County, Forsyth County Quality Charter School, Richmond County, Rutherford County, and Washington County.

Eligibility

Even Start grant applications must be submitted as a collaborative endeavor between a public school system and a nonprofit organization (community-based organization, public agency, or community college). The public school system must act as the fiscal agent for the project. Projects are funded for four years with required reviews and continuation applications submitted to the Department of Public Instruction at the end of each year.

Participants

Participants in Even Start programs are parents deemed eligible for involvement in an adult education program under the Adult Education Act and their children from birth through age 7. To be eligible, at least one parent and one or more child must participate together in all four components of the Even Start project (early childhood, parenting, parent and child interaction and adult education).

Contact Us

For the 14 participating counties listed above, contact the local public school system administrative office for further information. At the state level, contact Don Carter, Even Start Consultant, Office of School Readiness, at (919)981-5298 or email dlcarter@dpi.state.nc.us