Priska Neely|In the L.A. Unified School District, 28,000 preschoolers are getting hands-on training in how to build friendships, be empathetic and self-aware.
More state leaders are putting funding into preschool programs, but the quality of those programs isn't keeping pace with the quantity, according to a new report.
"Reading and play really does change the way your child approaches their feelings, their behavior and, ultimately, their readiness to learn," said researcher Alan Mendelsohn.
In L.A. County, black babies are three times more likely than white babies to die in the first year of life. The county has a new five-year action plan to reduce that disparity by 30 percent.
Participation in a program that aims to provide healthy meals to children in child care is dwindling. Advocates want the state to chip in more so providers will join.
Officials broke ground Tuesday on a 20,000-square-foot early learning center, right across from City Hall. It will serve infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Jackie Jackson closed her home day care in Azusa after 17 years because she could no longer make ends meet. It's one of thousands the state has lost since 2008.
