News And Announcements Index

Celebrating the holidays with arts and crafts, families at the South Central Los Angeles Ministries (LAMP) Family Literacy Program make holiday wreaths out of construction paper cutouts of their handprints.

Because so much of the impact First 5 LA has on the community occurs due to strong community partnerships, we would like to thank and commend you — our grantees, partners and community members — for your positive contribution.

Low-income families nationwide will soon enjoy a more balanced diet, thanks to a new USDA plan to include fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods in packages distributed by WIC.

Three families compete to see who can shop best for the fixins of a balanced meal as Latina star Chef La La challenges them to "sweep" Vons for healthy foods.

Get involved in city parks planning on behalf of children! The L.A. City Department of Parks and Recreation is asking for input about how to improve parks.

The holiday season can be so busy that many parents miss out on spending time with their children. Learn ways to show your children love, attention, and nurturing while embracing the holiday spirit.

Working with English Language Learner (ELL) children can be a challenge for teachers and practitioners. Find out how this issue was addressed at the NAEYC pre-conference and reception.

Be a children's mental health advocate! Share your perspective with the Department of Mental Health as they decide on how much money from the Mental Health Services Act should go to children.

Learn how the SCAEYC Accreditation Facilitation Project, a First 5 LA grantee, helps child care centers and family day care providers become NAEYC or NAFC accredited.

More resources on how to safely choose toys for children. www. HealthyToys.org has tested 1,200 toys and rate thier toxicity.

Training will soon be available for hospitals with poor records of support for breastfeeding. Find out more on how to apply.

Debra Coleman has lived a life dedicated to helping others. Her background has given her a unique perspective which she has used to strengthen the capacity of literacy programs through L.A.

For young families in Long Beach who don't regularly go to the library, the library has found a way to go to them. The Raising A Reader program has brought the library closer to home for more ...

Family involvement is the name of the game at the Rowland Unified School District (RUSD), and recently receiving the Golden Bell Award for family engagement is the latest honor for their achievements ...

Ask any doctor about the benefits of breast milk for a newborn and the answer will all be a variation on the same theme — it's like "liquid gold." Expectant mothers are ...

In October, the Monday Morning Report featured Noah Ogata, a 5 year-old Champion for adults, who, with help from his family, started Project Star, a program to collect blankets ...

In light of the many toy recalls in the last few months, many parents and caregivers may be confused about how to choose safe and responsible gifts. Because of this ...

First 5 LA today presented its first Champions for Our Children Award to the Long Beach Public Library Foundation. Established this year by First 5 LA, the Champions for Our Children Award ...

Now is your chance to shop for the holidays and support literacy efforts in Los Angeles County at the same time! As part of our Read Early, Read Aloud campaign ...

More than two million residents of the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys now will be served by a new Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) facility in Chatsworth.

One of the key items on First 5 LA's Public Policy Agenda made significant progress last week in Congress. By overwhelming margins, a bipartisan measure passed in both the House and Senate to reauthorize Head Start ...

Susan Kaplan is the executive director of Friends of the Family, one of Southern California's most highly regarded family resources centers. She is also the President ...

As any parent who has read to a young child knows, some of the most poignant moments of family bonding can occur over a good book. From Pat the Bunny to Thomas

Parents and providers have long had a hunch: Children who start Kindergarten behind, remain behind as they continue in school. Now that hunch has been supported by ...

In addition to the month of November's designation as Child Literacy Month by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, November 1st marked ...

It's always nice to be thanked, and First 5 LA got to experience a true and formal thank you at the beginning of this month from Los Angeles City Council Member Jose Huizar at ...

Thanks to a new law smokers in California soon will no longer be able to lawfully light up in their vehicles if a child is present. But child advocates ...

Low-income neighborhoods frequently lack an adequate number of grocery stores, something that forces residents to travel longer distances to buy food. Those same neighborhoods ...

Over 1,000 parents and children attended the 2007 Festival of Readers. See photos of the book-making, story-telling, face-painting, mariachi-playing fun!

A forest of books ... traditional Indian music ... storytelling ... a drum circle ... arts and crafts ... a warm welcome from First 5 LA Commissioner Corina Villaraigosa. These are just a few things ...