At a time when families across the Southland are doing everything they can to give their young children a good start in school, a special LAUP event took place May 30 to educate them on how to best transition their children from preschool into kindergarten.

Held at John H. Liechty Middle School on 650 South Union Ave. in Los Angeles, "Moving Up With LAUP" provided more than 1,000 parents with valuable information on how they can best prepare their children for a successful kindergarten experience. This free event included workshops that educated parents about choosing the best path for their children's success in school.

Families had the opportunity to visit educational booths staffed by organizations and vendors with a focus on Early Care and Education. In addition, parents received valuable information of relevance to their children on area school systems, public libraries, health services and more. There also were entertainment and fun activities for children and food. Our staff also handed out free backpacks to LAUP preschoolers.

LAUP wishes to thank everyone who was involved in the planning of this event, as well as all the volunteers who made it a success.