Our Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning recently received the Heart of Community Award from CareSource, a nationally recognized, nonprofit managed care organization serving over 2 million members across five states including Georgia. Joining us to talk about the award from CareSource is Senior Manager for Population Healing Lisa Penningt…

Friday, April 19, was a big day for DECAL, the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning, and all of our educators of the year being honored this year. The Georgia Lottery and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon honoring our three Early Childhood Educators of the Year and our two Georgia’s Pre-K Program Teachers of the Year…

It might be May but the Summer of 2024 is just around the corner…starts June 20 according to the calendar, but really kicks in sooner than that here in Georgia. The question is….are you ready? Joining us to talk about Summer Plans in Georgia is Sonja Steptoe, Communications and Outreach Manager in our Quality Innovations and Partnerships Division, …

This fall will be the 32nd year of Georgia’s Pre-K Program which now serves nearly 72,000 students statewide. This year we are making significant improvements to PANDA, the Pre-K Application and Database Access system for providers. Joining us today to talk about Georgia’s Pre-K Program and the online improvements is Susan Adams, Deputy Commissione…

In March, DECAL released the results of our most recent Economic Impact Study, which evaluates the importance of the early care and education industry to the state’s economy. This is the third Economic Impact Study we have commissioned, following the first in 2008 and the second in 2016. Like previous studies, this report is a collaboration between…

DECAL will celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week in Georgia May 6-10, 2024, as we have done for the last four years in the first full week of May. Similar to Georgia’s Pre-K Week, and Inclusive Early Learning Week, this special week in May reminds us that the early years in a child’s life provide a key opportunity to establish safe and secure rel…

Despite advancements in technology and all of the screen time each of us total up in a month, the public library continues to be a popular place for individuals and families here in Georgia. There are 410 public libraries across the state…and that library card holds more value than ever. With National Library Week coming up April 7-13, this is a gr…

In December, DECAL and the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning announced our three winners for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year. Joining us today is Laura Wagner, Executive Director for the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning; Miranda Murphy is our Practice and Support Services Outr…

Today they may be learning their colors, shapes, and letters…but before you know it, those four-year-olds in Georgia’s Pre-K Program will be all grown up and headed to technical school or college. That’s why each year we join Path2College 529 Plan and the Georgia Student Finance Commission for our Pre-K to College Sweepstakes. Joining us this week …

During the COVID pandemic, DECAL offered POWER payments to all eligible early learning professionals and staff here in Georgia. POWER stood for Providing our workforce essential recognition and at $1,000 per person in three rounds totaled over $118 million in supplemental payments from the American Rescue Plan. Today POWER has become POWER-ED, a wa…

DECAL's Thriving Child Care Business Academy opened its virtual doors in September 2023. The Academy offers a wide selection of free online trainings and educational resources to help owners and administrators of child care programs learn the best management practices that will help their businesses thrive. Joining us to talk more about the Academy…

An Early Childhood Care and Education Student at Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro has been named as the school’s 2024 GOAL Student. Ashley Ford is a mother of two daughters and a child care teacher at Kids World Learning Center in Statesboro. Ashley joins us for this week's podcast, along with Sarah Beverley, who is a Student Navigator and …

This summer, kids throughout Georgia will continue to have access to free nutritious meals and snacks through Happy Helpings, Georgia’s Summer Food Service Program. Joining us today to tell us more about Happy Helpings are Director of Nutrition Services Tamika Boone, Marketing and Outreach Manager Cindy Kicklighter, and special guest Deborah Wilson…

If you have been around DECAL for any time over our past 20 years now, you have heard the name Jennie Couture. Jennie was our Director of Practice and Support Services who retired in 2022 after a 40 year career dedicated to special education, inclusion, and behavioral support. To honor Jennie and her love for inclusion, the Georgia Foundation for E…

DECAL’s Inclusive Early Learning Week will be celebrated the week of February 12-16, 2024. The mission of IELW is to promote inclusive practices within early learning environments across Georgia. This year we are also celebrating the Inclusion and Behavior Support Program’s 10-year anniversary at DECAL. Joining us to share more about inclusion and …

Since Fall of 2019, DECAL has had a group of volunteers working in their communities to share information with families about the resources available in our state. Our DECAL Family Peer Ambassadors are fathers, mothers, grandparents, foster parents, and other kinship caregivers of young children. They serve as leaders in their community, providing …

Since 2016, DECAL has offered paid internships to students currently enrolled in a Georgia college, university, or law school with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. We took a break during the pandemic years of 2020 through 2022, but last year the interns returned. Joining us this week to talk about their experiences so far are two of our comm…

The 2024 Session of the Georgia General Assembly opened recently with everything you might expect from the Wild Hog Supper to Governor Kemp’s State of the State Address. But what can we expect for DECAL and early childhood care and education in Georgia this session? Joining us to talk about the Georgia General Assembly, Governor Kemp’s State of the…

On this week's episode, Commissioner Jacobs flips the script on Host Reg Griffin and asks him the questions. It's a chance to learn more about our Chief Communications Officer and the DECAL Communications Team. Support the Show.By Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind…unless you’re talking about this episode of DECAL Download where we count down the top episodes of 2023 in this look back on our top stories of the year. As in past years, episodes about COVID money continue to be among the most popular….but also new initiatives like Community Transformati…

Earlier this year, DECAL awarded new EXPAND Grants to seven child care providers and six nonprofit and government organizations. Supported by research and analysis showing that the availability of high-quality child care and early education plays a key role in Georgia’s workforce development and economic growth, DECAL created the EXPAND Grants with…

In May, 2019, Dennis Brice joined DECAL as our Chief Information Officer, coming to us from McKesson where he served as Vice President of Human Capitol Management and Corporate Applications. About nine months later, COVID became our new reality and, like the rest of the world, DECAL had to shift to more online offerings to keep the agency moving fo…

It's our annual Holiday Episode as we unwrap stories, explore traditions, and embrace the magic that makes this time of year truly extraordinary. As usual, we are joined by members of the DECAL team to discuss great gift ideas for children birth to five, some healthy recipe ideas, and holiday traditions from the DECAL team. Joining us on this episo…

Early care and education professionals in Georgia have a true partner in Georgia Public Broadcasting. GPB’s education division provides FREE digital media and content for Georgia educators and students, starting with preschool and Pre-K, and going up through middle and high school. They are developing some innovative and groundbreaking programs wit…

This week’s podcast is a little unusual. Normally we might talk with one, two, or three guests. Today we have around 700 special guests. We are at the DECAL 2023 All Staff Meeting at the Cobb Galleria Centre. It is our first in-person All Staff Meeting since 2019 before the pandemic. Come join us! Support the Show.…

Some big changes in store for Georgia’s CAPS Program beginning November 15. The program that assists low-income families with the cost of child care will now administer the provider management function of the CAPS Program…work previously performed by our contractor, Maximus. We’re making these changes to provide more streamlined services and to inc…

It’s been called an epidemic but also Georgia’s most solvable problem. We’re talking about the fact that according to the Georgia Department of Education, only about a third of most children in Georgia are reading on grade level by the third grade. That has ramifications on the future as experts say it won’t support the workforce and Georgia’s grow…

Last month, two Georgia Pre-K teachers had surprise visits from Commissioner Jacobs, CALi, and other special guests when it was announced that they are our new Georgia’s Pre-K Program Teachers of the Year for 2023-2024. The public-school winner is Charlotte Richards from Chattahoochee County Pre-K in Cussetta and the private child care center winne…

When you think about child care in Georgia, you probably picture infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and Pre-K students. But a large number of families rely on child care for their school-age children attending elementary and even middle school. In these cases, child care providers offer homework help, tutors, STEAM activities, health & fitness, chara…

This month, DECAL is offering child care tuition assistance for early educators in Georgia to help the child care industry recruit and retain professional staff. Using funds from ARPA, this program will support the cost of child care for children of individuals working at 30 licensed child care programs in Georgia. Joining us to talk about tuition …

With the fall comes college football, pumpkin spice lattes, and of course Open Enrollment here at DECAL and with the State of Georgia. Open Enrollment begins October 16, 2023, and ends November 4, 2023, at 12:59 a.m. ET for active eligible employees and COBRA beneficiaries. Open Enrollment is a time to review, enroll, make changes to your Flexible …

There are over 4,400 licensed child care programs in Georgia….that’s child care learning centers and family child care learning homes. The vast majority are in good standing with DECAL, meeting our rules and regulations for health and safety. But what should you do if you have concerns about your child care program? Joining us to talk about reporti…

This year DECAL and Voices for Georgia’s Children are celebrating the 13th Annual Georgia’s Pre-K Week, October 2-6, 2023…our 31st year offering Pre-K to students and families here in Georgia. Joining us to talk about Georgia Pre-K Week is Caitlin Dooley, Executive Director of Voices for Georgia’s Children, and State Representative Teri Anulewicz (…

Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs responds to questions about some of the current issues now facing the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Support the Show.By Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

October is National Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month…an innovative way to build children’s relationship with food and the local food system through hands-on food education and gardening experiences, interactive and adventurous taste testing, and inclusion of local items into meals and snacks. DECAL and our Nutrition Team fully supp…

Here at DECAL, we believe that a stable early care and education industry made up of thriving child care businesses is important to the state’s economic growth and to preparing future generations of young learners for academic success. A new program called the Thriving Child Care Business Academy is designed to help owners and administrators of ear…

It is back to school time in Georgia and when you think about a child’s success in school, you may focus on cognitive skills of learning and understanding…but research shows that social, emotional, and behavioral competence is equally important. Here at DECAL, we have a special helpline designed to assist you…child care teachers, parents, and careg…

For the first time ever, tens of thousands of young children across Georgia are preparing to enter Georgia’s Pre-K Program. We’re expecting 70,000 and more this school year. Several areas of the state started school in late July, but the majority are starting now. Joining us to talk about starting school are Megan McGraw and Jessi Slater from our I…

Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs is interviewed by John Clark from the Georgia News Network for their weekly public affairs program Georgia Focus. Support the Show.By Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

CAPS is Georgia’s Childcare and Parent Services…a federal program administered by DECAL that helps pay for the cost of child care so parents can work or attend school. CAPS also helps families find high quality early learning environments and stability in their child care arrangements and connects families with resources to help them become self-su…

The data says Americans today are working longer and retiring later. Thirty years ago, the average retirement age in the US among men was 62, 59 among women. By 2021, those numbers had gone up by three years…some blame a lack of savings, some blame reduced social security benefits, and some blame COVID. Whatever the case, retirements here at DECAL …

DECAL’s Nutrition Services Division administers the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Happy Helpings, Georgia’s Summer Food Service Program. These federal nutrition programs, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), ensure eligible children and adults have access to nutritious meals and snacks. Joining us this week to talk …

These days finding traditional child care in Georgia Monday through Friday, from 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM, can be challenge enough. But what about when you need non-traditional child care in the evenings, overnights, or on weekends? Through extensive engagement with families, child care providers, and other stakeholders, DECAL has learned that many famil…

As most people know, the program in Georgia that provides financial assistance with child care is called CAPS, or Childcare and Parent Services, and its administered here at DECAL. We are excited to announce that DECAL will soon begin administering the provider management function of the CAPS Program, work that is currently, and has historically be…

A graduation ceremony was held recently at the Loudermilk Center in downtown Atlanta for a group of students from state agencies who have spent the last ten months looking at ways Georgia can serve children and families through a two-generation approach. The 2Gen Leadership Academy is sponsored by the Georgia Children’s Cabinet. Joining us from DEC…

School’s out for summer but still so many things happening here at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning….we thought it was a good time for a Chat with Commissioner Jacobs, taking a wide variety of questions from our DECAL team as well as the early childhood care and education workforce and the general public on social media. Let's get …

There’s a new resource in Georgia to assist families in locating the services they need…from financial assistance and food pantries to medical services and child care. Find Help Georgia is a collaboration by DECAL, Technical College System of Georgia, and Prevent Child Abuse Georgia. Here to talk about Find Help Georgia is Amanda Tarpley, CAPS Fami…

For the 12th year, DECAL is offering an intensive academic program for rising Pre-K and rising Kindergarten students called the Summer Transition Program. The program was created to support students who either did not attend Georgia’s Pre-K Program or Head Start or who need additional help before taking that next step. Joining us to talk about the …

Summer officially arrives on June 21….many consider it Memorial Day, May 29….either way, temperatures are rising and the danger of a child dying alone in a hot car becomes even more of a threat. For the tenth consecutive year, DECAL is calling for families and caregivers of children to Look Again…and increase awareness of the dangers of leaving chi…

This year we’re celebrating the 30th year of Georgia’s Pre-K Program and the 10th year of Quality Rated. Next year marks the 20th year for the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning and when the agency was created in 2004, the same legislation mandated that the new department have an advisory board to support our work. The board meets quarte…