Early Childhood Family Education050

Minnesota's ECFE program is an outstanding resource for parents of newborns to kindergarteners. Weekly classes typically begin with parent-child activities, followed by a circle time with songs and stories.

After that, parents usually head off to a separate room for coffee and discussion, while children stay behind with able childcare providers for more activities and snacktime, and in the process, build school-readiness skills.

The classes are designed to build healthy families, and offer parents a supportive, moderated forum to share experiences, tips, and concerns; a chance to connect with parents in similar circumstances, a particularly valuable benefit for families new to the area; and - nothing to sneeze at - a break from parenting, even if it's just for an hour or so.

The range of offerings is staggering: there are "non-separating" classes for newborns that cover infant massage; classes for toddlers with separation issues; and classes just for dads, teen parents, adoptive parents, and same-sex parents. Other offerings are designed for parents of children with special needs, or hospitalized children. Some classes are open to all kids under five, some serve only a narrow age range. The bottom line is that "You mean I'm not the only one?" is a common and empowering refrain in the program, which is offered throughout the state. Visit the main directory for links to individual district programming.