Brain development starts at birth, and most brain development happens before the age of 5. Engaging and supporting families of children in the early years is critical for reducing future obstacles and setting at-promise children up well for their lifelong educational journey.
Our Early Childhood & Family Engagement programs build school readiness in children ages 0 to 5, their families and neighboring schools. We foster catalytic change by working with families and leading community initiatives that improve early childhood systems and access to resources.
We enrich parental skills, starting with prenatal development, and empower parents to be early childhood and educational advocates. We offer home visits, social and health services, prenatal education and support, educational playgroups and activities, and assistance for families with children who have special needs. Our holistic approach eliminates barriers to success and aids parents in becoming their child’s first teachers and leaders in their communities. We partner with elementary schools to involve parents early in the schools their children will attend.
Children thrive and families flourish in strong, safe, healthy, and engaged communities where people develop strong and lasting relationships, support each other, and act together to give children the best start possible. LAEP has a deep history of community engagement in the early childhood space, most recently as the manager of the Northeast Valley (NEV) Best Start Community, which empowers the community to address important issues for local families to support kindergarten readiness.
Universal access to early childhood education is essential to eliminate educational inequity, but there is a severe shortage of early childhood teachers nationwide. Ready2Teach is a one-year, earn-and-learn program designed to increase the number of qualified infant/toddler teachers across Los Angeles County.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Los Angeles Education Partnership Celebrates GivingTuesday with 40/40 Challenge, joining millions around the world participating in the global …
Just launched! LAEP’s 40/40 Challenge celebrates our 40th anniversary with a $40 donation goal. Join us in making a lasting …
Our October Newsletter is filled with Big News at LAEP! Our CEO, Dr. Dawn Kurtz, is leading the charge to …
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LOS ANGELES EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP HEAD START PROGRAM PARTICIPATES IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S CHILD AND ADULT …
In our May newsletter, we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with a special promotion and honor Early Head Start graduates! Read …
LAEP celebrated two classes of Early Head Start Spring Graduates as young achievers gathered with their families to commemorate the …
In our April Newsletter, we celebrate Week of the Young Child and cut the ribbon on our new Early Head …
HAWTHORNE, CA – Parents, children, elected officials, and community partners counted down before officially cutting the ribbon on the new …
In our March Newsletter, we celebrate Women’s History Month and the opening of our new Early Head Start Childcare Center! …
HAWTHORNE, CA – Excited toddlers walked hand-in-hand with their parents through the doors of their new place of learning and …
A father shares his experience at his son’s Early Head Start graduation. My son Ronald has been enrolled in Early …
In our February Newsletter, we honor Black History Month, spotlight our Community Schools program, and offer a free Liberatory Leadership …
We are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year as we continue the work of empowering learning communities and helping children …
Una madre habló de su experiencia durante del graduación de Early Head Start de su niña.
Six community organizations in the San Fernando Valley received grants to support community-selected projects that meet community-identified needs.
At LAEP’s Early Head Start graduation, dad Ronald shared: “My son Ronald has been enrolled in LAEP [Early Head Start], …
Elsa Leal, Director of LAEP’s Ready2Teach infant-toddler teacher workforce development program, shares tips for potty-training children 18-36 months. How to …
Hear how Lidia has supported her Northeast San Fernando Valley community through NEV Best Start.
Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is currently enrolling its first cohort for its new Ready2Teach program! LAEP’s Ready2Teach is an …
Brain development starts at birth, and 80% of a child’s brain develops by their third birthday. The first three years …
The pilot program, Ready2Teach, will support family childcare homes and childcare centers and train new educators to improve equitable access to infant and toddler care.
When Maricela’s oldest son was a baby, he wouldn’t talk; he just cried and cried. Maricela enrolled him in Los …
For the second year, the LAEP-facilitated Northeast Valley (NEV) Best Start Community has, through a participatory budget (PBP) process, worked …
Dr. Eric Barela has worked as a measurement & evaluation professional for over 2 decades, helping organizations to better understand and act on their social impact. He’s currently a Senior Consultant with Raya Cooper Impact Consulting and previously worked at Salesforce, where he led efforts to measure the social impact of the company’s work with nonprofits and educational institutions across the globe. He began his career working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and with the nonprofit, Partners in School Innovation. Eric previously served on the Board of the American Evaluation Association and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Evaluation.
Eric grew up in East LA and was educated in the Montebello Unified School District. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. He loves a good road trip, with his husband serving as trusty navigator.
