Early Childhood Family Education | ECFE

COVID Daily Check List for ECFE Families:   English | Somali | Spanish

Frequently Asked Questions

District 196 COVID Information

All Connections Preschool and ECFE teachers are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Meet Our Teachers

Members Needed

The ECFS (Early Childhood Family Services) Parent Advisory Council supports Early Childhood programming within District 196. This programming includes Early Childhood Family Education, Connections Preschool and Family School. The Parent Advisory Council is a highly valued resource for District 196 ECFS and assists in the development, planning and monitoring of Early Childhood Family Education programs within the District. Parents involved in any District 196 Early Childhood programs are welcome to join.

Meetings are held from 7:15-8:15pm via Zoom on the third Tuesday of every month during the school year. New members are always welcome. This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance the programs and make connections with other parents. For more information, please click here and a staff member will be in touch with you. We look forward to meeting you!

Parents learn with your child!

Parents ... attend Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes and learn parenting skills while your child attends preschool in Family School! Parents and their preschool children can attend school together Monday through Thursday mornings at District 196 learning centers in Apple Valley. Families must be District 196 residents, have preschool children and a goal in Adult Basic Education as an English learner (EL) or GED student.

In Family School

• Parents attend ABE classes and learn parenting skills
• Children attend preschool and get ready for kindergarten

Find Out More

District 196 Information

Early Childhood Screening - 14301 Diamond Path, Apple Valley, MN 55124. Call 651-423-7899.

Early Childhood Special Education - For information on evaluations and early intervention. Call 952-388-1900.

Kindergarten and Magnet Schools - General information for incoming kindergarten families. Or go directly to kindergarten enrollment to start the pre-enrollment process.

New Baby - Do you have a new baby? Are you new to town? If so, please contact Student Information Services at 651-423-7640 with your family’s updated information so you receive important program information and updates.

School Attendance Locator

Activity Ideas

• Macaroni Kid Community Resources
• ECFE Sings Lyrics

Favorite Links

• Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
• Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning at Vanderbilt University
• Common Sense Media
• Conscious Discipline
• The Ellyn Satter Institute - Models for Feeding Dynamics and Eating Competence
• Healthy Children (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Help Me Grow Minnesota
• Kids in the House
• Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Ed.D.
• Mom Enough
• Pacer Center - Champions for Children with Disabilities
• ParentAware - Tools and information to find quality childcare and early education
• Parenting Counts
• PBS Parent Resources
• Positive Discipline
• Simplicity Parenting
• Zero to Three

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. 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.

Click here to open a printable brochure about ECFE.