Early Learning at Washburn serves children from birth to 5 years and their families. Early Learning offers a variety of programs and services within Bloomington Public Schools. The program's mission is to strengthen families through quality education and support in parenting and parent-child relationships. In early learning, we focus on both parents and kids and know that a parent is a child's first and most important teacher. Quality educational childcare is provided on site for a small fee for siblings not enrolled in classes. Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) classes help parents meet the challenges of parenting and help young children (birth to 5 years) develop socially, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. ECFE classes are offered weekly at two sites during mornings, afternoons and evenings. ECFE is a public school program staffed by licensed parent and early childhood educators. ECFE operates on a sliding fee scale; no one is turned away for inability to pay. Early Learning preschool helps children develop learning readiness skills so they will have the confidence, independence, and social abilities to become successful learners. Preschool classrooms and activities are designed to provide a variety of fun and meaningful hands-on learning experiences and staff members pay close attention to meeting children's individual and developing needs. All teachers are licensed in early childhood family education or early childhood special education. Parent involvement is an important part of our preschool programs. Early Learning offers unique preschool programs for both three- and four-year-olds. Early Learning conducts screenings for children in Bloomington which help identify children who may benefit from early childhood services before they enter school and connects them with the appropriate resources and programs. The state of Minnesota requires that all children be screened before they enter kindergarten. This screening should be done by the time your child turns four years old. If you have a concern about your child's development before the age of three, Early Learning will perform specially requested screenings.
