A grant from the California Community Foundation (CCF) will fund an important initiative, the Parent Ambassador Program, by Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) to educate and engage parents in advocacy on behalf of their children. Another objective is to increase support for early childhood education among elected officials at the local, state and national levels.

LAUP, a non-profit organization providing high-quality preschool education to four-year-old children in Los Angeles County, intends to enroll a minimum of 200 parents in the new Parent Ambassador Program.  Outreach will take place at such school-based events as parents meetings and open houses. LAUP will also coordinate as many as 50 meetings by parents with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions.

"Parent Ambassadors will learn how to best use the power of their own voices to spread the good word about the importance of a quality, affordable preschool education," said Celia C. Ayala, CEO of LAUP. "We are grateful to the California Community Foundation for its encouragement and support."

"Quality preschool education is proven to have positive life-long implications for children," stated Antonia Hernandez, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. "With this $35,000 grant, we hope to help raise awareness about the need to invest more resources from the public, private and non-profit sectors in early childhood education, even during these tough economic times."

California Community Foundation (CCF) is a public, charitable organization dedicated to improving the communities of Los Angeles through philanthropy and civic engagement in such as areas as education, arts, health care, human development, housing and neighborhoods. Since 1915, CCF has also served as an advocate, convener and organizer of partnerships that enable people and organizations to discuss important issues, share ideas and engage in innovative activities together.