VIII. Key Issues in Family Literacy

In our 1994 survey of family literacy initiatives, one of the questions asked what people considered to be the key issues in family literacy.

The following list of issues has been compiled from the returned surveys and information gathered on other programs. The list has been ranked according to how many programs identified each issue, and then grouped as administrative, programming, or participants' issues. They are in descending order, with any additional comments or details listed below.

A. In Alberta

1. Recruitment (42%)

• how we promote the program in terms of reaching target families (hard to make contact, not necessarily in any group or agency)
• tend to reach the "converted"
• reaching those who really need the program

2. Funding (42%)

• - ongoing funding
• funding to maintain current programs and develop new ones
• many good programs [models] available but no funding
• time for administrative issues
• lack of funding
• small budgets
• uphill battle in times of cutbacks

3. Awareness (27%)

• building public awareness on a small budget (relying on word of mouth and print materials)
• recognizing strengths, rather than weaknesses
• mother-blaming
• public awareness of the role parents can play in their child's development (instead of abdicating their responsibility to educators)
• parents must realize the important role they play in helping children to become literate adults right from day one
• building awareness (parents and community)
• schools need to realize the importance of parents' role, and support them as much as possible

4. Prevention (19%)

• to provide early opportunities for literacy, from babyhood on, introduced in an oral fashion
• adult literacy programs are finding it difficult because they are trying to cure a problem rather than prevent it
• family literacy programs are essential to helping break the cycle of illiteracy
• strengthening the family using a "holistic" approach to well-being
• helping families create positive attitudes towards lifelong learning

5. Collaboration/cooperation (19%)

• time for initiating and continuing collaborations with other community groups
• time for planning and collaboration
• should be an issue addressed by schools, social services, and health agencies
• sorting things out with adult literacy program
• more collaborative approach
• the involvement of teachers and the whole community