1999 Minnesota Statutes

     124D.13 Early childhood family education (ECFE) programs.

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment.  A district that 
 provides a community education program under sections 124D.18 
 and 124D.19 may establish an early childhood family education 
 program.  Two or more districts, each of which provides a 
 community education program, may cooperate to jointly provide an 
 early childhood family education program. 

    Subd. 2.    Program characteristics.  Early childhood 
 family education programs are programs for children in the 
 period of life from birth to kindergarten, for the parents of 
 such children, and for expectant parents.  The programs may 
 include the following:  

    (1) programs to educate parents about the physical, mental, 
 and emotional development of children; 

    (2) programs to enhance the skills of parents in providing 
 for their children's learning and development; 

    (3) learning experiences for children and parents that 
 promote children's development; 

    (4) activities designed to detect children's physical, 
 mental, emotional, or behavioral problems that may cause 
 learning problems; 

    (5) activities and materials designed to encourage 
 self-esteem, skills, and behavior that prevent sexual and other 
 interpersonal violence; 

    (6) educational materials which may be borrowed for home 
 use; 

    (7) information on related community resources; 

    (8) programs to prevent child abuse and neglect; 

    (9) other programs or activities to improve the health, 
 development, and school readiness of children; or 

    (10) activities designed to maximize development during 
 infancy.  

    The programs must not include activities for children that 
 do not require substantial involvement of the children's 
 parents.  The programs must be reviewed periodically to assure 
 the instruction and materials are not racially, culturally, or 
 sexually biased.  The programs must encourage parents to be 
 aware of practices that may affect equitable development of 
 children. 

    Subd. 3.    Substantial parental involvement.  The 
 requirement of substantial parental involvement in subdivision 2 
 means that: 

    (a) parents must be physically present much of the time in 
 classes with their children or be in concurrent classes; 

    (b) parenting education or family education must be an 
 integral part of every early childhood family education program; 

    (c) early childhood family education appropriations must 
 not be used for traditional day care or nursery school, or 
 similar programs; and 

    (d) the form of parent involvement common to kindergarten, 
 elementary school, or early childhood special education programs 
 such as parent conferences, newsletters, and notes to parents do 
 not qualify a program under subdivision 2. 

    Subd. 4.    Home visiting program.  (a) The commissioner 
 shall include as part of the early childhood family education 
 programs a parent education component to prevent child abuse and 
 neglect.  This parent education component must include: 

    (1) expanding statewide the home visiting component of the 
 early childhood family education programs; 

    (2) training parent educators, child educators, community 
 outreach workers, and home visitors in the dynamics of child 
 abuse and neglect and positive parenting and discipline 
 practices; and 

    (3) developing and disseminating education and public 
 information materials that promote positive parenting skills and 
 prevent child abuse and neglect. 

    (b) The parent education component must: 

    (1) offer to isolated or at-risk families home visiting 
 parent education services that at least address parenting 
 skills, a child's development and stages of growth, 
 communication skills, managing stress, problem-solving skills, 
 positive child discipline practices, methods of improving 
 parent-child interactions and enhancing self-esteem, using 
 community support services and other resources, and encouraging 
 parents to have fun with and enjoy their children; 

    (2) develop a risk assessment tool to determine the 
 family's level of risk; 

    (3) establish clear objectives and protocols for home 
 visits; 

    (4) determine the frequency and duration of home visits 
 based on a risk-need assessment of the client, with home visits 
 beginning in the second trimester of pregnancy and continuing, 
 based on client need, until a child is six years old; 

    (5) encourage families to make a transition from home 
 visits to site-based parenting programs to build a family 
 support network and reduce the effects of isolation; 

    (6) develop and distribute education materials on 
 preventing child abuse and neglect that may be used in home 
 visiting programs and parent education classes and distributed 
 to the public; 

    (7) initially provide at least 40 hours of training and 
 thereafter ongoing training for parent educators, child 
 educators, community outreach workers, and home visitors that 
 covers the dynamics of child abuse and neglect, domestic 
 violence and victimization within family systems, signs of abuse 
 or other indications that a child may be at risk of being abused 
 or neglected, what child abuse and neglect are, how to properly 
 report cases of child abuse and neglect, respect for cultural 
 preferences in child rearing, what community resources, social 
 service agencies, and family support activities and programs are 
 available, child development and growth, parenting skills, 
 positive child discipline practices, identifying stress factors 
 and techniques for reducing stress, home visiting techniques, 
 and risk assessment measures; 

    (8) provide program services that are community-based, 
 accessible, and culturally relevant; and 

    (9) foster collaboration among existing agencies and 
 community-based organizations that serve young children and 
 their families. 

    (c) Home visitors should reflect the demographic 
 composition of the community the home visitor is serving to the 
 extent possible.  

    Subd. 5.    Separate accounts.  The district must 
 maintain a separate account within the community education fund 
 for money for early childhood family education programs. 

    Subd. 6.    Participants' fees.  A district must 
 establish a reasonable sliding fee scale but it shall waive the 
 fee for a participant unable to pay. 

    Subd. 7.    Additional funding.  A district may receive 
 funds from any governmental agency or private source.  

    Subd. 8.    Coordination.  A district is encouraged to 
 coordinate the program with its special education and vocational 
 education programs and with related services provided by other 
 governmental agencies and nonprofit agencies.  

    A district is encouraged to coordinate adult basic 
 education programs provided to parents and early childhood 
 family education programs provided to children to accomplish the 
 goals of section 124D.895. 

    Subd. 9.    District advisory councils.  The board must 
 appoint an advisory council from the area in which the program 
 is provided.  A majority of the council must be parents 
 participating in the program.  The council must assist the board 
 in developing, planning, and monitoring the early childhood 
 family education program.  The council must report to the board 
 and the community education advisory council.  

    Subd. 10.    Alternative council.  A board may direct 
 the community education council, required according to section 
 124D.19, subdivision 2, to perform the functions of the advisory 
 council for early childhood family education.  

    Subd. 11.    Teachers.  A school board must employ 
 necessary qualified teachers for its early childhood family 
 education programs. 

    Subd. 12.    Assistance.  The department must provide 
 assistance to districts with programs described in this 
 section.  The department must establish guidelines that list 
 barriers to learning and development affecting children served 
 by early childhood family education programs. 

    HIST: 1984 c 463 art 4 s 1; 1Sp1985 c 12 art 4 s 2; 1989 c 329 
 art 4 s 3; 1990 c 562 art 4 s 1; 1991 c 130 s 37; 1991 c 265 art 
 4 s 3-5; 1992 c 571 art 10 s 1,2; 1993 c 224 art 4 s 11; 1Sp1995 
 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1997 c 162 art 1 s 5; 1998 c 397 art 3 s 
 43-50,103; art 11 s 3; 1999 c 205 art 1 s 41,70