Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) / Home

Early Childhood Family Education’s (ECFE) mission is to strengthen families through education and support of all parents through providing the best possible environment for the healthy growth and development of their children. ECFE provides education in child development and parent/child relationships which sets the stage for children’s school success.

UPDATE: Saint Paul ECFE is excited to announce that we will now offer In-Person classes at our Wheelock Early Learning Center location starting March 1, 2021.

To start out, we will offer two classes per day Monday thru Thursday, one morning class and one afternoon class.

Play, Move and Connect

Come for an hour to play and connect with other ECFE families. Explore and engage in learning and play. Circle time with songs, movement and stories will be in the last part of class.

Families can expect:

Handwashing upon arrival

Masks required for adults, masks highly encouraged for children

Social distancing of 6' required for adults

If you or your child are experiencing any COVID 19 symptoms, stay home

improved ventilation and daily building sanitation

Equipment, surfaces, and toys will be disinfected after each class.

Register here.

What to Expect in ECFE
- All classes will be held via Distance Learning.
- There will be no fees for Distance Learning.
- If Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) transitions to a hybrid or fully on-site model, ECFE will transition as well.
- When we return to in-person education, we will reinstate our sliding fee scale.
- Please contact us at ecfe@spps.org if you need technology or a hot spot (We are working toward securing more options to support families in need.)
ECFE Distance Learning:
- Weekly, one hour, online parenting classes, with a licensed parent educator
- Early Childhood teachers will be facilitating online circle times that include songs, read-aloud time and learning activities.
- Teachers will post weekly learning activities for parents and caregivers to do at home with their children.
- Teachers will be available during the week for one on one check-ins with parents and children.
- Teachers will be available during the week for one on one check-ins with parents online or through a phone consult.
Program Details and Policies

Registration for online classes is now open. If you need help filling out the application, please email us at ecfe@spps.org

All Saint Paul Public Schools classes, including ECFE, are distance learning at this time. We will update this page when we receive new information about returning to in person classes.

Distance learning classes are at no cost at this time. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please contact us at ecfe@spps.org. Thank you.

Classes are semester classes unless otherwise noted. We reserve the right to cancel low enrolled classes. All adult participants must have a child age birth to kindergarten entrance.
Personal Phone Consultation
Frequently Asked Questions

Who participates in ECFE?

Parents and children participate together. Participation is voluntary. ECFE is committed to accessibility for everyone, so fees are based on a sliding fee scale or are waived for families unable to pay.

It is the goal of ECFE to serve a representative cross-section of families with young children in each community. All families have different needs. Programs offer sessions with specific topics to meet these individual needs.

Why start at birth?

Brain research confirms the first three years are an extremely critical period in a child's development. This is especially true in the areas of language, social skills and the foundation of intelligence. An infant's daily interactions with caregivers actually determine the structure of some areas of the brain itself. Getting involved in ECFE can help parents be better equipped to deal with the challenges of caring for these rapidly developing infants and toddlers.

Why involve parents?

Research shows that early childhood programs involving parents and children are more effective than programs focusing exclusively on children. Educators and psychologists agree that it is vital for early childhood programs to assist parents in their role as primary educators of their children. Involvement prior to kindergarten encourages parents to play an active role in their children's learning throughout their entire education. Children whose parents are involved in their education have been shown to be more successful in school.

Who benefits from ECFE?

Society benefits from strong families and healthy, well-developed children. The potential of ECFE to prevent or reduce later learning problems of children has been confirmed by evaluation of ECFE and similar programs. Parents involved in ECFE report feeling more supported and more confident in their role as parents. They also report having a better understanding of how children develop and having improved parenting skills. Research strongly suggests that dollars spent on ECFE are more than repaid by savings in remedial health, education and welfare costs later.

Early Childhood Screening for Kindergarten

Required by State Law for children before starting Kindergarten and required for Pre-K entrance. Screening checks for:

   • Vision            • Speech
   • Hearing        • Development
   • Height           • Social/Emotional
   • Weight        • Health History
   • Immunization Review

Screening is recommended for children when they are 3 (and up to 5) for early identification of any concerns which may interfere with learning. Screening is offered by Saint Paul Public Schools free of charge. Forms are available from the Early Childhood Screening Office if parents choose to have their own health provider complete the screening. For day and Evening Appointments, call 651-632-3746 or contact Early Childhood Screening

Developmental Concerns

If you have concerns about the development of your child, contact Help Me Grow at 1-866-693-4769
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