Family & Community Adult Education Family Literacy
Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium

Our vision is successful families. Our mission is successful partnershps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

3. Why does Massachusetts need family literacy?

In Massachusetts:

• More than 2 million adults (44%) do not have functional English literacy skills or the basic abilities expected of a high school graduate.

• 465,000 of these adults are undereducated or limited English proficient parents with children under 13 years of age who are in need of literacy services for both their children and themselves.

• Children in 114,000 families have a parent who cannot read aloud to them.

• Children in 264,000 families have parents who can read at a basic level but have difficulty helping their children with homework.

However, we find significant variations in the profile of needs as we look from community to community. That's why the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, working with the Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium (MFLC), has developed individual community profiles for every one of the 351 cities and towns across the Commonwealth. These profiles include indicators of individual and family need and the assets communities have available to respond to these needs with respect to education, employment, poverty, social, and key health characteristics.

The Community Needs Profiles provide snapshots of education, family support, and economic conditions in every Massachusetts city and town. This data is available for communities to use when holding forums, building coalitions, and advancing their efforts on behalf of integrated family literacy and family support services.

The companion Community Assets Profiles document selected resources related to family literacy including funding provided by MFLC member agencies such as Children's Trust Fund (CTF), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), and the Office of Child Care Services (OCCS).

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Please address any questions or comments to MFLC@doe.mass.edu