While some other federal education programs—such as ESEA Title I, Part A programs—also provide services to both disadvantaged young children and their parents, Even Start is the only federal program specifically dedicated to this purpose. Typically, Even Start programs do not directly provide all of these services, rather they establish networks of service providers, including Head Start programs and grantees under the AEA. P.L. The program's funding was significantly reduced to $99,000,000 in FY2006. For FY2007, the Administration has requested no funding, the House Committee on Appropriations has recommended $70 million in funding, and the Senate Committee on Appropriations has recommended no funding. The services most often provided directly by Even Start programs are early childhood education and parenting skills education. 107-110 (the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization legislation, which was signed into law on January 8, 2002, moved the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs from Title I Part B of the ESEA, to Subpart 3 of Title I Part B of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The only change to the program was an amendment allowing states to use funds for state-level activities to improve the quality of family literacy services provided (in addition to other previously authorized uses). The Even Start program was reauthorized in the 106 th Congress in H.R. 4577 , the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2001, signed into law as P.L. 106-554 . ESEA Title I, Part B was renamed the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs, and was reauthorized for five years beginning with an authorization of $250 million for FY2001. The reauthorizing language is largely the same as language contained in the Literacy Involves Families Together Act, H.R. 3222 (Goodling), which was passed by the full House on September 12, 2000. However, language in H.R. 3222 specifying that religious organizations should be treated the same as other nongovernmental organizations in the awarding of subgrants was not included in the final reauthorization language. 3222 proposed authorizing $250 million in funding for Even Start for FY2001, and proposed to:
Rename Section 1202, Part B: "The William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs"; Require more stringent qualifications and standards for staff paid out of Even Start funds; Permit Even Start programs to serve children aged 8 or older if services are provided in collaboration with ESEA Title I, Part A programs; Authorize states to use a share of their grants to improve the quality of services provided by local grantees whose services have been of low quality, and to permit states to provide technical assistance to help local programs of demonstrated effectiveness to "access and leverage additional funds"; Require grantees to use instructional programs "based on scientifically based reading research" for children (including reading readiness activities for preschool children), and if possible, for adults; Would have added to the list of indicators of an area's need for a program: whether an area has a high percentage of parents who have been victims of domestic violence, or who are receiving assistance under a state program funded under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act; Reserve not more than 3% of funds appropriated for Even Start to provide technical assistance to, and to carry out an independent evaluation of, programs receiving Even Start assistance; Increase the amount of funds reserved for migrant programs, outlying areas and Indian tribes from 5% to 6%, if the amount appropriated for the program exceeds $200 million; Specify that no state shall award a subgrant for less than $52,500 in the ninth and subsequent years; Provide for a one-time coordination grant for each eligible state in the amount of: the lesser of $1 million or the amount the appropriation for Even Start exceeds the previous year's appropriation; Require Even Start programs to employ "continuing use of evaluation data for program improvement," and to provide information on how their plan "provides for rigorous and objective evaluation of progress toward" meeting the program's stated objectives; Reserve, in years in which the current year's appropriation for Even Start exceeds that of the previous year: "the lesser of $2 million or 50% of the increase in total Even Start appropriations each year" to be used by the National Institute for Literacy to conduct, through "an entity ... that has expertise in carrying out longitudinal studies of the development of literacy skills in children": scientifically based reading research on adult literacy and helping parents support the literacy development of their children; Move the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program from ESEA Title X, Part E, and add it as Title II under this act; with an authorization of $20 million; Amend the definition of an eligible entity to include "a religious organization."
The Even Start program provides education and related services jointly to parents lacking a high school diploma (or equivalent) and their young children. Even Start services include basic academic instruction and parenting skills training for the adults, and early childhood education for their children, along with necessary supplementary services such as child care or transportation. Generally, Even Start programs do not directly provide all of these services; rather, they establish networks of service providers, including Head Start programs and grantees under the Adult Education Act (AEA). Even Start is the only federal program specifically dedicated to providing services to both disadvantaged young children and their parents.
The families served by Even Start programs are highly disadvantaged, with very low levels of education and income, and increasing proportions of them have limited English language skills.
The Even Start program was reauthorized in the 106th Congress, in P.L. 106-554, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2001. ESEA Title I, Part B was renamed the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs and was reauthorized for five years beginning with an authorization of $250 million for FY2001. The reauthorizing language is largely the same as language contained in the Literacy Involves Families Together Act, H.R. 3222 (Goodling), which was passed by the full House on September 12, 2000. However, language in H.R. 3222 specifying that religious organizations should be treated the same as other nongovernmental organizations in the awarding of subgrants was not included in the final reauthorization language.
P.L. 107-110 (the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization legislation, which was signed into law on January 8, 2002, moved the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs from Title I Part B of the ESEA to Subpart 3 of Title I Part B of the No Child Left Behind Act and extended the authorization period through FY2007. The only change to the program was an amendment allowing states to use funds for state-level activities to improve the quality of family literacy services provided (in addition to other previously authorized uses).
The Even Start program's funding was reduced to $99 million for FY2006 (including the FY2006 across-the-board reduction). For FY2007, the Administration has requested no funding for the program, the House Committee on Appropriations has recommended $70 million in funding for the program, and the Senate Committee on Appropriations has recommended no funding for the program.