Representatives of the Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) on March 24 joined city officials, parents and community residents to celebrate the opening of a preschool that serves the Phillips Ranch community to better prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.

In conjunction with Week of the Young Child that falls on April 11-17 this year, LAUP is sponsoring several public events with the goal of focusing attention on the needs of young children and their families, and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

A Senior Economist with the Santa Monica-based RAND Corporation is the newest member of LAUP's Corporate Council, whose mission is to seek broader support from corporate America to further the cause of early childhood education.

LAUP on March 19 accepted a statewide Eureka award recognizing the organization for its adherence to superior quality, efficiency and performance excellence standards.

In a report released by Pre-K Now, it states that according to studies, teachers with bachelor's degrees and specialized training in early education are more effective than those educators who don't hold such credentials.

LAUP, along with the entire early childhood education (ECE) community, was highly anticipating the passage of the Early Learning Challenge Fund (ELCF) legislation that has been working its way through Congress.

With April being Child Abuse Prevention Month, it is our responsibility to recognize a very important cause. Child abuse is a very serious issue and one that deserves attention and publicity. It ranges from physical harm to subtle and damaging forms of emotional manipulation.

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.