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Registration for fall session coming in August!
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.
Below you will find information about our program. Please contact our administrative office with any questions you have.
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What is ECFE
Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) recognizes that parents are their child’s first and most important teachers. ECFE offers parents hands-on learning experiences that will nourish a lifetime of teachable moments.
All ECFE classes are taught by licensed early childhood teachers and parent educators to provide the quality education parents are looking for.
Together, parents and children, newborn to kindergarten age, participate in activities and experiences that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and language skills.
ECFE teachers use the Parent Education Core Curriculum Framework and Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota’s Early Learning Standards provided through the Minnesota Department of Education.What Happens at ECFE
Family Time
Parents and children learn together to emphasize developing children’s language, reading and math skills.Parent/Guardian’s Time
Licensed parent educators lead the parents through discussions intended to increase knowledge and parenting skills.Children’s Time
Children participate in activites which focus on social and emotional development. -
Benefits of ECFE
- Quality parent education and support
- Parent involvement with each other, their children and the program
- Quality curriculum and learning opportunities for our children with a wide variety of developmentally appropriate activities
- Affordable and accessible services to all
- Building and providing a sense of community for parents of young children
- Contributing to the goal of closing the achievement gap among SPPS students
- Hiring qualified staff reflective of the diverse cultures we serve
- Securing funding from a variety of sources and implementing cost saving strategies that continue to provide high quality programming
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Program Details and Policies
Online registration begins August 17, 2020 at 12:00 pm. If you need help filling out the application, please email us at ecfe@spps.org
At this time the ECFE office is closed, we will update this page when staff return to the ECFE office.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. -
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 ScreeningDevelopmental Concerns
If you have concerns about the development of your child, contact Help Me Grow at 1-866-693-4769
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