Thousands of children in Los Angeles County will be able to receive a quality early childhood education thanks to future funding of the Power of Preschool (PoP) program approved by First 5 California.

Young children starting school must grasp basic concepts, from reading and mathematics to how to interact with their peers. For a young child to whom English is a second language, learning the fundamentals may be especially overwhelming.

Para Los Niños, a non-profit family service organization in Los Angeles, invites the public to attend an international exhibit: "The Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children," which will run through April 25 at 1129 Second St. in Santa Monica, adjacent to the Fairmont-Miramar Hotel.

LAUP, the Los Angeles County Lead Prevention Program and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are working together to educate preschool providers about the dangers of lead poisoning among children.

There's little doubt that the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti has left most of us moved by the hardship it has caused the Haitian people, most of whom have yet to recover from the natural disaster.

 
Proposal to Divert Funds to Balance State Budget Threatens Early Childhood Programs, Including Preschool

LAUP encourages everyone concerned about preserving services for young children to contact their state senator and assembly member to urge them not to cut funding that could affect children's ability to attend preschool in L.A. County.

 
Children's Reading, Listening and Language Skills: New Findings

Children need to read more in and out of school and they need more challenging materials, conversations and discussions to help their skills blossom into academic competence later on, new findings show. And along with decoding letters, "systematic early attention must be paid to developing oral language skills."

It's the kids. We do it for the kids. And that is where your donation goes: to programs, classrooms and quality education that directly benefits the kids of Los Angeles County. Your investment in the children of our community pays a lifetime of positive returns. Your donation, no matter what size, helps another child move that much closer to obtaining a high-quality preschool education, which prepares them for a successful future thanks to the proven benefits of preschool education. On behalf of all the children of LAUP, we thank you for your donation and welcome you to the LAUP family.