The Even Start Family Literacy Program is authorized by Title I, Part B, subpart 3 of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 (as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) to provide funds through the West Virginia Department of Education for the establishment of local Even Start projects.

West Virginia Even Start is intended to assist families break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. Even Start is a family-focused literacy program intended to improve the educational opportunities of children and adults by integrating four components of family literacy into a unified program. To do this, local Even Start projects build on existing high-quality community services to provide a cohesive program, which includes adult basic education, parenting education, children's education, and interactive parent and child literacy activities (PACT).