First 5 LA, LAUP Reach Out to Families with Young Children Relocated from Gulf Coast with Assistance in Finding Preschool & Chil

LOS ANGELES— First 5 LA and Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) announced today that they are reaching out to help families with young children displaced by Hurricane Katrina to find preschool and childcare services.

LAUP, a public benefit corporation funded by First 5 LA, will serve as the clearinghouse to assist families in enrolling young children in licensed day care centers and preschools in communities where they are resettled throughout LA County.

Where possible, LAUP will waive residency requirements and fees for parents whose four-year-old children are placed in LAUP-funded half-day preschools, which include private centers, home-based programs, public preschools, and Head Start Centers. A list of these preschools can be found at www.laup.net. LAUP will also work with programs outside its network to find space for children in need.

Displaced families interested in these services are urged to call (866) 581-LAUP or (310) 568-9420.

"We hope to help the families affected by this terrible tragedy regain some sense of normalcy in their lives," said Dr. Graciela Italiano-Thomas, CEO of LAUP. "Helping parents find a safe, nurturing place for their young children in their new home communities is part—though just a part—of this effort."

"We are working with the LA County Department of Health Services, LA County Office of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross, and the Dream Center to identify families who need longer-term solutions to health care, early education, and child care needs," said Evelyn V. Martinez, executive director of First 5 LA.

The American Red Cross is reportedly providing housing and assistance to more than 350 families in LA County, and there are an additional 300 individuals staying at the Dream Center in Echo Park. In addition, FEMA has said it expects to relocate another 2,000 individuals locally within the next week.

"First 5 LA was created on the premise that we can strengthen our community by giving children the best start possible in the first five years of life," said Martinez. "As a community, we now have an obligation to take care of our newest and youngest members—those children and families who lost their homes and livelihoods in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina."

First 5 LA is a child advocacy non-profit organization that invests public funds to improve the lives of children pre-natal to age five in LA County. Created by voters and funded by state tobacco tax revenue, First 5 LA champions health, education and safety issues benefiting young children and families.

Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is a public benefit corporation created in 2004 and funded by First 5 LA. LAUP is guided by a 10-year plan to make high-quality, voluntary preschool accessible to every four-year-old in Los Angeles County, regardless of their family's income.