Maggie Olson, ECFE coordinator for Delano Public Schools, told the school board on May 19 that the district's Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program has broadened nontraditional offerings and substantially increased participation at several events.

Olson said ECFE began in St. Cloud, Minnesota, as a research project and emphasized two core ideas: that parents are children's first teachers and that early parental involvement promotes continued engagement in a child's education. She said ECFE is unique to Minnesota and that Delano's program focuses on research-based information, parental attitudes and connecting families to community resources.

Olson described a range of program formats intended to reach diverse family structures. Traditional classes bring parents and children together for play and group discussion; nontraditional offerings include a nature class at Lake Rebecca (which grew from eight families in its first session to 22, and attracted 54 participants for a summer class), an "eat, play and learn" evening meal-based session to reach families who cannot attend daytime classes, and a "Saturday Dads" series intended to create dedicated opportunities for fathers.

She also highlighted large community events: the Santa's Workshop event drew 589 attendees in 90 minutes and the recent Touch-a-Truck event attracted about 1,276 people in two hours. Olson said ECFE often serves as a family's first contact with the district and that the program prioritizes making a positive first impression.

Olson described staffing and advisory structures. Delano ECFE currently has two licensed parent educators, three early childhood teachers, three nurses, one state-certified education trainer (Olson), and five program assistants. An advisory council that began the school year with two members grew to 15 members by November and 23 by January, providing ideas and feedback on outreach and programming.

Olson said she is focusing on building partnerships with local day-care programs, family child-care providers, Love Inc., the public library and adult education (ABE/GED) providers to extend ECFE's reach beyond families who enter the Community Education Building. She said ECFE serves families with children birth through kindergarten and aims to reach families who might otherwise be missed.

Olson closed by reading a letter from a Delano parent, Colin Brown, who described ECFE events and classes he and his daughter attended and wrote that participation helped his daughter form friendships and feel excited about attending school. Olson then invited questions; the board expressed appreciation for the program and Olson's efforts.

Olson said she has conducted ECFE work for 35 years and called the program a professional passion.

Ending: The ECFE presentation was informational; no board action was taken on ECFE during the meeting.