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Administrator’s Corner by Lisa Ferns

The state of Minnesota is celebrating the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) 50th anniversary on April 11. The celebration honors all the efforts and services that ECFE parent educators and early childhood teachers have dedicated to supporting families through teaching child development, sharing parenting skills and building relationships within the community. As we’ve grown through initiatives and partnerships, the mission of ECFE has always been to strengthen families through child development education and to provide support to all parents for the healthy growth and development of their children, which sets the stage for children’s school success. 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.

Why are the early years of parenting critical?

One of the most critical stages of development and learning is from birth to 5 years old. The first five years of child development are crucial to their health, well-being and the overall trajectory of their lives in various ways. A child’s first three years exhibit rapid growth and development within the brain and body structure. Research has indicated how critical language skills, self-regulation and social-emotional skills are during this time. In addition, parents’ responses to their infants’ needs help establish a secure attachment which builds a healthy development later in life. Parents influence their child’s language and literacy skills during the first five years. Lastly, having a supportive system of family and friends builds positive connections within the community to help equip families for challenges during all seasons of childhood.

What are ECFE classes and opportunities?

School districts across Minnesota have Early Childhood Family Education for families with children from birth to nine years old. The program is under the umbrella of Community Education. The mission educates and supports families to provide environments for healthy growth and child development for their children. Families can learn and practice parenting skills in these classes while building trust with other caregivers within the community. Together, parents and children, newborn to kindergarten age, participate in activities and experiences that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and language skills. Parent-child sessions, a licensed parent educator and an early childhood teacher help parents increase positive interactions and support parent-child relationships. Research shows that the more involved parents are in their child’s learning, the higher their child’s chances of success in school. These classes consist of parent education classes, in which a licensed parent educator uses a research-based curriculum to tailor child and parent development and learning. 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. ECFE also holds family events which help create community connections. Early Childhood screening provides a child’s health and development through a screener. Community resources and referrals help parents with available food, daycare, medical needs and transportation resources.

Albert Lea history of ECFE

In Albert Lea, we have an ECFE program at Brookside School. We have provided community connections, resources, and parenting skills since 1983. During the beginning year, ECFE’s first coordinator, Brenda Wichmann, started out with only 10 hours of parent/child interaction and parenting classes in which she figured out different spaces within the community to hold these important events. Brookside School was the first site to hold permanent classes. Then for a 10-year period, the Community Education office and ECFE was at Ramsey School. Parent/child classes and 3-5-year-old preschool classes then were provided morning, afternoon and evenings. The program also began preschool classes of Building Blocks. Brookside School was again the site after the 10-year lease of Ramsey School. Classes were still in full swing and Preschool on Wheels was developed in which parent educators would go to daycares to bring children interactive activities. Brenda retired in 2011 and Jenny Hanson continued making community connections with families. During her time as coordinator, the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten preschool program began in 2015. She served here as coordinator until the end of June 2022. Lisa Ferns is the current coordinator of Early Learning leading the ECFE programming. In the last few years after the pandemic, we have recovered with enrollment numbers increasing, providing family events, series class, parent-child led interactions, special parenting topics and preschool opportunities. We have an Early Childhood quarterly catalog that is mailed out to all birth to five families within our community. Feel free to become part of our ECFE family!

Event coming up

On April 11, Albert Lea Area Schools will celebrate the state’s 50th anniversary at Brookside Education Center from 5 to 6 p.m. in Room 109 and the Gym A. This event will consist of a party with cake, interactions with our teachers, past participants and the community. We will be creating messages about why ECFE is essential to your family and will provide kids activities in the gym. We invite all families who have participated in any of our ECFE classes since 1983 along with present families to celebrate with us. So help spread the word. Come visit us! If you have photos from your time in ECFE, we’d love to display them. You can send them to lisa.ferns@alschools.org. Please check out the Albert Lea Area Schools Community Education page to register to attend or call 507-379-4838.

Lisa Ferns is coordinator of early learning for Albert Lea Area Schools.