YES YES & YES!!!!!! ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) is one of the best things and one of Minnesota's little secrets. It is the best. Whenever someone has come back with a bad exsperience, it has been because they have not selected the class that is right for them. There are many different programs.
~The first thing you would decide is if you are looking for a newborn class, birth to 3 or birth to 5 class.
~The next thing would be are you looking at a day class or evening class.
~The next is what type of personalities fit you.
~The final one is if you are looking for a class that seperates or stays together. Let me explain.....
The first months newborn class sort of brings together women whom have just delivered. They are usually school district funded but hospital base. This class is good to connect with new moms; but it does end after your baby is 6-9 months; so many times women are then again looking for a place to go.
The birth to 3 classes are great in that it focuses on the kids through toddler stage and many of the same issues are what all of the parents are faced with. The birth to 5 classes are nice when baby #2 arrives as you then can take both kids without a problem.
Day time classes tend to attract stay at home moms/dads or people whom work from home. The evening classes tend to attract the 9-5 type people working outside of the home as well.
Know that the neighborhoods attract people of that neighborhood. For instance Highland Park is a very different crowd than Frogtown in St. Paul. So choose your site.
The way all the programs work is the first 30-45 minutes the mom and the child is together singing songs interacting and doing projects. Then after this initial time, the kids seperate into age appropiate groups with childcare, preschool and elementary providers while the parents go into a parent group that is lead by a parent educator. In some classes, the children and the parents stay together the entire time. This is okay for some parents, but what I have seen is that the kids who are seperated from the parents tend to bloosom a lot more because they get a chance to explore without mom interjecting. Also more parenting topics get covered when there are not a lot of little ones to interject with the adults. So whatever combination fits your fancy; it is a great idea to participate. Good Luck.
BTW- I went through ECFE with both of my children whom are now in grade school. (((HUGS))).