University of Virginia Library

Reduction Of Funds
Imperils Hope House

By Fred Heblich

Hope House is a modest organization
with very high aims. It is one
of three Child development centers
licensed by the state operating in
Albemarle County. Unfortunately,
there is some question about how
much longer it will be able to
operate.

The Charlottesville-Albemarle
County Community Action Organization
runs these centers with funds
provided by the federal government
under the Anti-Poverty Act of
1964. This year, however, the
government has withdrawn much of
its support, endangering the ability
of these centers to operate on a full
scale.

When asked about the budget
cut of $50,000, John Bowles,
director of Hope House, said it
seemed to follow "the general trend
of government spending in this
area." Mr. Bowles also said that in
proposing programs of this type the
government "gives you half of what
you need, half the time you need to
do it in, and then expects too
much."

The child development program
helps deprived pre-school children
prepare for public schools. The idea
behind this program is that public
schools are designed for children
with a middle-class background,
and consequently children from
poorer backgrounds are at a great
disadvantage upon entering public
schools. The aim of the program,
one staff member said, is to
"develop the child physically, mentally,
and emotionally to get him as
near as possible to the average
middle-class child."

The centers, Hope House in
Charlottesville, W.D. Ward in Esmont,
and Union Run in Keswick,
each instruct 30 children five days a
week, 9 months a year. There is a
head teacher at each center who
does most of the actual instruction,
an assistant teacher, and a group of
volunteer assistants.

The subjects taught are language,
mathematics, music, and
physical education. However, all of
these subjects are designed to have
the children develop a sense and
concern of the world about them.
The educational system tries to
expose the children to an environment
different from their homes.
Many of these children have not
had the early training which most
of us always take for granted. One
teacher said she has had children
enter her class without being able
to speak their names.

A very important part of this
program is that it frees the parents
of the children during the afternoons.
This not only allows both
members of the family to work, but
it gives the child something to do
and places him in a situation where
people will pay attention to him.

The results of the program as
yet can not be evaluated, but one
evidence of progress was seen in a
language testing experiment at
Kesmont. The children were given a
government designed language test
last September. The highest score
recorded was 60 percent and scores
ranged as low as 2 per cent. When
the test was given last week there
were scores ranging in the 90 per
cent area, and every child has
shown substantial improvement.

Response to this program has
been exceptional by the families it
involves and by the children, but
they can't do it alone. The
Community Action Organization
needs $50,000 dollars to continue
operations this year.