The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) recently launched a nationwide postcard campaign to save funding for the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program (Even Start). Even Start provides early childhood education services to children and adult literacy and English classes to their parents. Even Start is the only program in the U.S. Department of Education that serves children from birth to age three.

On September 25, 2007, Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Congressman Raul Grijvala (D-AZ) will join Even Start families and educators as they deliver hundreds of postcards to the Senate and share their personal stories in support of Even Start. Although the House has proposed continued funding for Even Start at $99 million dollars, the Senate has not allocated funding for this essential program that serves economically and educationally disadvantaged families, almost half of whom are Hispanic. The voices of families that receive Even Start services often go unheard. These postcards tell just a few of the stories of families and educators touched by Even Start.

You can access other NCLR Even Start publications by clicking on the links below:

Postcards from the Northeast

Postcards from the Southeast

Postcards from the Midwest

Postcards from the Southwest

Postcards from the West