Edina Family Center FAQ's

The mission of the Edina Family Center is to enhance the quality of family life through early childhood and family education.

What kinds of training do the teachers and classroom assistants have?

All parent educators and children’s teachers are licensed and certified by the Minnesota Department of Education.  Continuing education and staff in-service training are provided throughout the school year for all staff.

Why is registration for the next school year done so early?

We are market driven and customer focused-our families have requested that our timeline coincide with other community preschools who also register during this time period.

What if my child only misses the age cutoff by one day?

We do not make exceptions. Children must meet the age criteria by September 1st per the Edina K-12 requirements. (Note: a child’s placement in a particular age-group is based on birth date alone, not on performance or ability.)

Why do I have to reregister every year?

The state ECFE guidelines require that we offer open enrollment every year to all families ensuring that more families can experience the Family Center.

Why don’t you offer more child-only programming in the morning for threes and fours?

We offer as many classes as we can given our classroom space restraints. The ECFE model is fundamental to our mission and we offer morning ECFE classes to accommodate as many families as possible.

Do you offer financial assistance?

Yes-Financial assistance request forms are available to district #273 residents and information is on our website.

Why is parent education so important?

In the Early Childhood Family Education model, parent education is a mandatory component.  It is what sets us apart from all other preschool programs.
We believe parent involvement is the key to a successful preschool experience for young children.

Why don’t you offer curb side drop off and pick up for 3 year olds?

We only offer this service to families with four year olds due to the limited number of safe access doors at the ECC.

Why aren’t your two year old classes longer than two hours? Other programs in our community are much longer?

Our mission is to serve as many families as possible and our classrooms are often booked with back to back classes. We do offer the option to extend your child’s day in our childcare program.

Why don’t you advertise the staff names on registration day?

Our staff is not offered contracts until much later in the year and no one has assigned hours for the next school year until late in spring.

Why don’t the class start and end times work with my elementary school?  

We try to offer a variety of start and end times, days that sections are offered, and a mix of classes because Edina has staggered start and end times.

Does your preschool require kids to be out of diapers?

No-we are a developmentally appropriate preschool that meets kids where they are. We encourage the learning and ask that you send and label extra clothes.

Where do I go if I think my child has special needs?

If you have concerns about your child’s development, talk with your child’s teacher, parent educator, or contact Kelly Dritsas ECFE/ECSE liaison to discuss your concerns (952-848-3973)

How do I become a member of the Edina Family Center PTO?

Applications will be available in February.  PTO members who have significant involvement in the program are given priority registration for ECFE classes.  There is a limit of four priority registration spots in each ECFE class.  If there are more than four spots requested by PTO members, a lottery will be held between active PTO members.

 

updated 11/19/11