Early Childhood Family Education

Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) is a Community Education program of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, and is the first connection between families and the school district. ECFE is a program unique to Minnesota and is offered in over 300 school districts throughout the state. The mission of ECFE is to support and strengthen families - the first and most important teacher in a young child's life.

ECFE Classes Offer Three Components:

• Parent and Child Interaction Time – An early childhood teacher provides developmentally appropriate activities for parents and children to enjoy together.
• Guided Play for Children – A portion of the class is devoted to learning through play with licensed teachers and assistants while parents participate in a parent discussion in a separate room. We separate for parenting in the multi-age classes and in the age specific classes 2 and over, but do parenting in the room for babies and 1 year olds.
• Parent Discussion Time – Parents and caregivers participate in a discussion, led by a licensed parent educator. The joys and challenges of parenting are shared, and topics are designed to address the developmental issues of each age group.