Even Start → About Even Start
About our Even Start Program
Criteria for Participation and Entry to the Project Gaithersburg Elementary School [GES] Even Start targets families who meet these criteria:
- Have limited educational background, limited literacy in the home language of Spanish and limited proficiency in English
- Have at least one child between the ages of 0 to 3
- Qualify for free or reduced meals
- Are Hispanic immigrants in the GES attendance area
- Have a high interest in the education of their children
Referrals to GES Even Start are received from numerous sources including parents in the project, walk-ins to the project, Montgomery County HHS Infants & Toddlers Program, Early Head Start, Linkages to Learning, the Judy Center, and teachers and school district staff. A home visit, intake application and scoring rubric are used to screen and assess each referral. Qualifying families are invited to participate fully in the program on a trial basis. If a family does not qualify, or decides not to commit to the project, Even Start refers the family to appropriate community providers and services.
Requirements and Benefits
- Each family develops a Family Action Plan with objectives for each family member. Goals are updated regularly. Step-by-step plans are made to achieve these goals, and Even Start provides the framework of opportunity and support for the family to meet its goals.
- Each family agrees to try to attend 20 hours per week of Even Start activities. A combination of adult education, parenting education, early childhood activities, and Interactive Literacy activities are offered daily at the Even Start center, and home visits are made weekly. Breakfast and lunch are provided at the Even Start center daily.
- Educational early childhood activities are provided for children while their parents are on site for adult and parenting education classes. Children experience the classroom setting and developmentally appropriate activities. Parents practice new skills with their children in the EC room, and learn by observing staff interacting with children.
- Activities are offered morning, afternoon and evening to increase accessibility and intensity of education opportunities for families.
- The Even Start project is integrated with Comprehensive School Reform and collaborates with stakeholders including MCPS ESOL/Bilingual Programs, MCPS Adult Education, the Bohrer Parent Resource Center, the Judy p. Hoyer Gaithersburg Center, and many other agencies.
- MSDE performance indicators for each component drive the project design. The project complies with local, state and federal evaluation and reporting. Staff qualifications, a staff development plan, plans for summer services, and overall plan for delivery of a high-quality, intensive instructional program are submitted annually.
A budget with narrative and plan for transition towards self-sufficiency is submitted annually, with breakouts for federal, in-kind and non-federal contributions for each component of the project.