Family

What is so impressive is our classroom atmosphere. Every student becomes a friend to you and part of a big family. Everybody helps each other and you always feel moral support.

Family Literacy programs enhance intergenerational learning by providing services to both parent and child that foster the practice of lifelong learning.

• Since 2000, VRAE has been the recipient of a Federal Even Start grant.
• Valley Even Start's Family Advocate is a nationally certified parent educator through Parents as Teachers.
• In 2003, Valley Even Start was selected through funding from the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, to become a pilot partner in Motheread/Fatheread and acts as a mentor program for future Connecticut partners.
• Valley Even Start is a member of the School Readiness Councils of Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Shelton, and the Discovery Committees Ansonia, Derby and Shelton.
• Valley Even Start supports family learning through its community contacts, library connections, modeled reading, take home activities, sibling care, and transitions into the public schools.
• VRAE received a national First Book grant, which has provided more than 800 children's books to Valley families.
• VRAE enhances relationships between parents and their children's schools through transition-to-kindergarten workshops, parent conference preparation, school calendar interpretation, and language translation.

Click here to see a list of our Community Collaboration Partners.