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Acting early‑childhood coordinator Abby Lang outlines ECFE services, screenings and outreach
Summary
At a Delano Public Schools board meeting, Abby Lang described Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) services, reporting 190 screenings this year with roughly 25% vision/hearing referrals and about 10% referred to Help Me Grow; she said ECFE served 1,132 people since September.
Abby Lang, acting early‑childhood coordinator for Delano Community Education, told the school board that Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) provides parent education, child‑parent activities and sibling care intended to support families with children from birth through preschool age. "We really want to set aside dedicated time to support the relationship parents or caregivers have with their children," Lang said.
Lang described the program’s staffing and structure: two sibling‑care providers, three classroom education assistants (paraprofessionals), two ECFE teachers, one parent educator and an administrative assistant. She said she is the acting early‑childhood coordinator this year and that the district is working to formalize long‑term supports and oversight.
Lang explained ECFE’s funding mix: state aid, levy funds and registration fees, with the state requiring a sliding fee scale so families are not turned away for inability to pay. She said ECFE revenue must remain in the ECFE program. "Any revenue coming in has to stay within ECFE," Lang said.
On screening and program reach, Lang reported the district completed about 190 early‑childhood screenings this year, with roughly 80% of those screened being 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds. Approximately 25% of screened children received referrals for vision or hearing follow‑up and about 10% were referred to the state Help Me Grow system for early intervention or special‑education connections. Lang added that ECFE is intended as a developmental snapshot rather than a kindergarten entrance exam: "It is not a kindergarten screening... it's not a pass or fail test. It's not a judgment of parenting."
Lang said ECFE served more than 1,132 people in the community since September; about 27% of those families were new to the program or new to Delano, and about 60% of participants were from Delano. She described outreach activities such as baby packets, home visits and a free "Coffee Connection" parent‑education hour supported in part by United Way and Wright County Health and Human Services.
Lang highlighted recent events and participation: a practice preschool and other classes, and a recent community Touch‑a‑Truck event that drew about 1,000 people (she cited about 572 adults and nearly 600 children) from Delano and surrounding towns.
Board members asked a few clarifying questions about ECFE operations and data. Lang said the program will continue outreach and is planning additional information and marketing to reach new families. She closed by noting upcoming ECFE events, including a family picnic and preschool graduation at Central Park and summer swim‑program planning.
