HAVERHILL - Annmarie Addesa is a single mother trying to make a better life for herself and her two children.
A former welfare recipient, Addesa, 29, got a housekeeping job and enrolled in a program that offers parents a chance at a brighter future. It was Addesa's sixth attempt at studying for the GED test, after she failed to complete five previous programs elsewhere.
Now, after Addesa has been with the Haverhill Even Start Family Literacy Program for four months, the program's legs have been cut out from under it. Federal funding ends Aug. 31 and threatens to leave as many as 20 adults in Haverhill without the program they've hoped will lead to better things in life - including a General Educational Development certificate after they failed to graduate high school.
"It's really sad," Addesa said during a break in her morning pre-GED class, which is held in the program's basement center at Nettle Middle School. "This program helped me improve my life in many ways, including being a more effective parent. I don't think I want to go to another one. This program is the only one that helped me achieve."
Her story is shared by other adults with children who are trying to move ahead in life by improving their English skills, learning to be more effective and knowledgeable parents as well as studying to take the GED test.
About 10 adults are enrolled in the morning pre-GED program, while another 10 adults are enrolled in the evening English language learner program.
Connie Archambault, director of Haverhill's Even Start program, said only four (East Boston, Lowell, Waltham and Fall River) out of 26 Even Start programs in the state received funding. She said it is going to be difficult to make up for the loss of this year's $181,500 in federal money, along with support received from the city, including free space for the program at Nettle School. Other in-kind support included parenting instruction by Community Action Head Start staff and instruction on family nutrition.
"We didn't really think we'd lose our funding, but we did," Archambault said. "Once again, education is on the short end of the stick."
Addesa joined the program near the end of the school year, but it was early enough to learn techniques for helping her son Kevin, 10, with his end-of-year book reports.
A former welfare recipient, Addesa, 29, got a housekeeping job and enrolled in a program that offers parents a chance at a brighter future. It was Addesa's sixth attempt at studying for the GED test, after she failed to complete five previous programs elsewhere.
Now, after Addesa has been with the Haverhill Even Start Family Literacy Program for four months, the program's legs have been cut out from under it. Federal funding ends Aug. 31 and threatens to leave as many as 20 adults in Haverhill without the program they've hoped will lead to better things in life - including a General Educational Development certificate after they failed to graduate high school.
"It's really sad," Addesa said during a break in her morning pre-GED class, which is held in the program's basement center at Nettle Middle School. "This program helped me improve my life in many ways, including being a more effective parent. I don't think I want to go to another one. This program is the only one that helped me achieve."
Her story is shared by other adults with children who are trying to move ahead in life by improving their English skills, learning to be more effective and knowledgeable parents as well as studying to take the GED test.
About 10 adults are enrolled in the morning pre-GED program, while another 10 adults are enrolled in the evening English language learner program.
Connie Archambault, director of Haverhill's Even Start program, said only four (East Boston, Lowell, Waltham and Fall River) out of 26 Even Start programs in the state received funding. She said it is going to be difficult to make up for the loss of this year's $181,500 in federal money, along with support received from the city, including free space for the program at Nettle School. Other in-kind support included parenting instruction by Community Action Head Start staff and instruction on family nutrition.
"We didn't really think we'd lose our funding, but we did," Archambault said. "Once again, education is on the short end of the stick."
Addesa joined the program near the end of the school year, but it was early enough to learn techniques for helping her son Kevin, 10, with his end-of-year book reports.
"Kevin was overwhelmed with his schoolwork, but I was able to help him get through it, with help from this class," Addesa said. "And my 7-year-old son Calvin likes it here too because they interact with children really well."
Since its launch in 2000, the Haverhill Even Start Family Literacy Program has helped about 250 families develop a strong educational foundation that includes the appreciation of learning and the expectation they will reach their full educational and economic potential.
"This is a major loss for the city of Haverhill and for the increasing non-English population and for young parents who lack the skills of a high-school graduate," Archambault said. "We have at least five students who are just points away from taking their GED test. Although we will refer them to Community Action's Adult Education Center and given priority for placement in September, students may not be able to continue since both transportation and child care are not components there."
The only way 16-year-old Vanessa Carrasquillo can attend her classes is by bringing her 4-month-old daughter with her. Carrasquillo dropped out of Haverhill High School earlier this year to have her baby and decided to earn her general equivalency diploma by attending preparatory classes in the mornings.
She said the class also is an opportunity to learn more about being a mother and raising a healthy, happy child. Those attending Even Start receive instruction in child care, child development, family nutrition as well as techniques for helping their school-age children to succeed in the classroom.
"It's not just my life; it's my daughter's life, too," Carrasquillo said. "If they cancel this program, I would not want to go anywhere else."
"I'd be lost without this program," Carrasquillo said. "This is more than a school; this is my family. Every day I'm here, I'm happy."
What set Even Start apart from other adult education programs, Archambault said, was the child care and transportation and an intense focus on understanding how children develop and the training of parents to specifically support their children's learning. That resulted in children increasing their vocabulary, ability to read on grade level, school attendance and promotion from grade to grade in school.
"Helping families to break the intergenerational cycle of under-education and poverty by empowering parents through our holistic approach has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience for the Even Start staff," she said. "We are grateful for the years of support we have been able to give."
PG1 BOX
Haverhill Even Start program
* 245 families participated since 2000.
* 38 parents received their GED.
* 8 families became American citizens.
* 12 families bought homes.
* 15 parents went on to college or technical training.
* 6 students moved from homelessness into their own apartments.
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