Parents of preschool children are invited to attend a Preschool Parent and Caregiver Expo from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 7 on the SBCC West Campus.

Admission is free. Free child care will be provided to parents with children enrolled in a district child care center, Head Start or Migrant Education Program. Also, free transportation to the expo is provided by each district from a designated location for parents in Carpinteria and Goleta.

The expo is designed for parents and caregivers of children ages 3 to 5 who are entering kindergarten. Parents will learn how to enhance their child’s preparation for kindergarten and success in school with 15 minutes a day of quality time, using practical tools for teaching children how to appreciate learning and to stay healthy through healthy eating and exercise.

The conference will begin with registration and refreshments at 8 a.m., with presentations starting at 9 a.m. The keynote speakers, who will deliver concurrent workshops in English and Spanish, are Elizabeth Sanchez and Alina Rosario, hosts of the award-winning series A Place of Our Own and Los Ninos En Su Casa produced by KCET-TV. Their presentations will include ways to make a difference in the lives of young children through easy-to-learn techniques and skills. Workshops include a Sesame Street presentation on teaching “Healthy Habits for Your Preschool Child,” “Increasing Literacy Skills through Reading and Storytelling” and “Constructive Discipline with Your Child.”

At lunchtime, participants will enjoy a complimentary meal and an interactive agency fair. Parents can get ideas on how to seize those brief “teachable moments” with their preschool children and leave with valuable giveaways from Sesame Street and other agencies.

The Preschool Parent and Caregiver Expo is sponsored by the First Five Children and Families Commission and the Orfalea Foundation. Co-sponsors are SBCC and the SBCC Foundation, SBParent.com, KCET-TV and Sesame Street Healthy Habits for Life Program. Planning team members represent local school districts, CAC Head Start, the public libraries and leaders in early care and education.

Space is limited. Participants can register online by going to www.first5santabarbaracounty.org. Print registration forms are available to parents whose children are enrolled in district-sponsored preschool children’s centers of the Carpinteria Unified School District, the Santa Barbara School District, the Goleta School District and the Hope School District as well as Head Start.

For more information, click here or call Katie Corda at the First Five Commission at 805.884.8085.

Lois Phillips, Ph.D., is the Preschool Parent and Caregiver Expo’s planning committee coordinator.