The Maryland Statewide Family Literacy Initiative is a two year program designed to expand and enhance family literacy services in the state through active collaboration of education and human service providers as well as policy makers.

The project sets five goals: 1) improve the reading and work preparedness of adult learners; 2) increase the literacy proficiency of migrant families with ESOL needs; 3) improve model family literacy programs and 4) REA grantees by incorporating family literacy performance indicators; 5) increase the reading readiness skills of children.

The strategies include:
· Coordination and sharing of resources among family literacy providers
· Exchange of best practices among projects through electronic services
· Adoption of family literacy performance indicators
· Enhanced research based professional development and expert technical
  assistance
· Deployment of a digital Maryland State Reading Plan
· Promotion and dissemination of the four Even Start components across the
  State

This Initiative began with the formation of a consortium that includes representatives from: Title I, III, IV, VI, State School Accountability Funding for Excellence (SAFE), Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program (CSRD), Adult Education, Extended Early Elementary Programs (EEEP), Head Start, Department of Human Resources (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Maryland's Reading Excellence Initiative (REA), Migrant Education, Governor's Office on Youth and Families, Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), Baltimore Reads and the Department of Housing for Baltimore City. Each of these collaborators is committed to working creatively to implement family approaches which will enhance outcomes for low income families in Maryland and assist them in breaking the intergenerational transfer of poverty and illiteracy.