‘A Place of Our Own’ & ‘Los Niños en Su Casa’ to air on PBS.

BP America and the BP Foundation have committed more than $15 million to KCET, the west coast flagship station for PBS, to support the national distribution, production, websites and outreach for A Place of Our Own and Los Niños en Su Casa, KCET’s Peabody Award-winning series for parents, grandparents and caregivers of preschool age children.

The additional BP grant, motivated by BP’s desire to help prepare children to succeed as they enter kindergarten, is the largest single commitment that KCET has received in its 42-year history. BP was one of the original funders of the series with an initial grant of $10 million. For the first two years, the series aired exclusively on California public television stations.

Speaking about the national support for the series, Bob Malone, BP America Chairman and President said, “A Place of our Own and Los Niños en Su Casa have made a remarkable contribution to the lives of young children and caregivers in California. BP’s commitment is focused on the objective of ensuring all young people have the same chance at scholastic success. These programs are key to empowering our next generation.”

Malone added, “I’m proud that BP’s ongoing commitment to education – from pre-school through college – will make a difference in the communities where we operate, and will mean the series has the chance to benefit many more children across the country.”

Al Jerome, President and CEO of KCET said, “Research confirms that we are providing important support for those who care for our young children. We are reinforced by the positive response to the series, the workshops and websites. BP’s extraordinary funding, along with new support from Corporation for Public Broadcasting and First 5 California, will allow us to reach out to a much wider television audience, impacting child caregivers and parents in communities across the United States.”

The national launch of the series is also made possible by a major $3.8 million grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the authorization by the First 5 California Commission for $6 million over the next three years of production.

A Place of Our Own and Los Niños en Su Casa, and their websites, provide parents and caregivers of young children with information about helping their children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills. Kindergarten teachers estimate that one in three children is unprepared for the challenges of school.

Since its launch in 2004, the show has won recognition from the broadcasting industry, community leaders and childcare experts, including a George Foster Peabody Award and the prestigious Japan Prize.