Executive
Director's Message

" Even for individuals with the highest aptitudes and greatest opportunities, there are many bumps and obstacles to be met on life's roadway.

At EvenStart, we work towards giving these children the hope of an equal educational footing and the promise of a fair start on life's journey."

Ilona Boyce,
Executive Director

Whom Do We Serve....
The children served by EvenStart come from homes
challenged by poverty, neglect, abuse, or
domestic violence. There may exist drug or
alcohol abuse and children can be born addicted.
Most of our children have experienced
some form of childhood trauma.
Programs serving these children and their families
have been located close to their comunities.
We operate out of three sites in Calgary
(SW, Central, NE).

We serve close to 100 children,
to whom we provide a centre-based educational and
treatment program, with additional services of transportation and meals provision.
We also support our families through the assignment of donated clothing to those needy.
Most children come to us hungry and many require a charitable supply of food, clothing, toys, etc.,
which we provide them in the way of hampers.

Our Goal ....
The primary goal of the EvenStart program is to intervene in the lives of disadvantaged
children and families in order to build resiliency and improve the child’s chances of succeeding in life.

Our Method ....
In our PreSchool Program, we work with the children to change their social and behavioral patterns by assisting with the development of resiliency strategies, with the closing of developmental lags, and by teaching skills that will enhance their success in school and community. In this way, our program offers both a preventative and early intervention approach to a population of high risk children.

EvenStart programs run in accredited child care sites approved by the Alberta Association for the Accreditation of Early Learning and Care Services.
Click here to learn more!

Working Together ....
In all our programs we work with parents to help make a difference.

The time couldn’t be better. Research in the area of Neurobiology (the study of how the nervous system works ) describes a ‘window of opportunity’ for the development of intellectual and emotional capacities in children from birth to 5 years of age.

In the Early Childhood field, we have known this for years.
Now, science has caught up.
We are learning more and more about how a child’s brain is ‘wired’
and how we, as a community, can support our children to grow
into healthy and successful adults. At EvenStart,
we believe that our work with children builds our community’s future.

Our Hopes ....
When children are fed, in good health, have access to education, live in homes that are safe where parents are assisted in developing skills that allow them to generate a livable income, where children learn they are valued, then these children are free to realize their potential. When this happens we ensure a future for all of us. At EvenStart, we work at building their future through the programs we deliver.

Thank You!
Thank you for visiting our site. I would like to introduce our programs in detail to you.

Please click on the program information links for additional background on our worthwhile cause.

Don't hesitate to contact us directly with any questions you have about The EvenStart for Children Society.

Ilona Boyce, MSW
Executive Director
The EvenStart For Children Society