Even Start is a program of the US Office of Education administered through the NDE Office of Children and Families. The Even Start Family Literacy Program is intended to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy and improve the educational opportunity of low income families by integrating early childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic education, and parenting education.
Currently funds are sufficient to support eight programs in Nebraska.
These programs are located in the communities of Lincoln, Alliance, South Sioux City, Crete, Columbus, Omaha, Hastings, and Wakefield. In Nebraska, Even Start programs are expected to operate in congruence with widely recognized definitions of best practice for early childhood, adult, and parenting education. Even Start provides one more opportunity for communities to craft family-centered programs designed to ensure the success of all of the community's children in their schooling. The Training Center provides a library of resources on early childhood, family issues, and parenting education and provides support in the use of the Nebraska Good Beginnings Parenting Education Materials. Local programs contract with the Training Center to obtain on-site training and other support.