Additional Resources

Early Childhood Programs

Early Childhood Programs are child care and education-related programs available to families in Minnesota with the goal of fostering the healthy development of young children. Head Start and Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) are two of the largest early childhood programs and are listed below. Contact your school district to find out about additional opportunities for pre-school aged children.

Head Start

The goal of Minnesota Head Start is to provide comprehensive services to help families living in poverty enhance the school readiness of their young children (birth through 5). Children statewide participate in a variety of educational activities in a safe environment, have healthy meals and snacks, and get connected to medical and dental services in their community. Parents are actively involved in their children’s health and education, receive support to enrich parenting skills, and access needed family services toward greater self-sufficiency. Parents also have opportunities to influence the direction and policies of the local programs. Generally, to meet income guidelines a family has to have an annual gross income under 100% of the federal poverty level (for example, a family of 4 would have to have earn less than $19,092 a year in 2004). However, there are exceptions and you should contact the nearest Head Start program to find out if your family is eligible.To find out more about the Head Start programs in Minnesota, contact the nearest agency listed below.

Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE)
http://www.ecfe.info/

ECFE is a public school program that helps to set the stage for parent involvement and children’s success in K-12 education. ECFE works to strengthen families and engage the ability of all parents to provide the best possible environment for the healthy development of their children. ECFE is open to all families with prekindergarten children, regardless of income. It is available through almost every school district in Minnesota.

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Contact us at: cyfc@umn.edu

CDF Minnesota exists to provide a strong and effective voice for the children of America who can't vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. Through research, public education, advocacy, coalition building, and policy initiatives, CDF Minnesota is an important advocate for the children of Minnesota and their families.