DECAL Download

DECAL is joining the Georgia Department of Education and the nonprofit research institute RTI International to help schools and child care programs test drinking water for lead, communicate about the testing, and remove lead from their drinking and cooking water.  Thanks to a federal grant, this testing program is free of charge and good for the health and safety of children and their families.  The project is called Clean Water for Georgia Kids…and here to talk about it is Rhonda Parker, Child Care Services Director of Field Operations, Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, the Clean Water for Georgia Kids Program Director and a Senior Environmental Health Scientist with nonprofit institute RTI International, and Crystal Lee Pow Jackson, a research environmental scientist and an outreach and communication coordinator for the program. 

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.  This is the fifth year for our sweepstakes and here to talk about Pre-K to College is Mitch Seabaugh, Executive Director of the Path2College 529 Plan, and Meghan McNail, Summer Transition Program and Outreach Manager for Georgia’s Pre-K Program.  

On October 18, 2021, DECAL welcomed our new Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership Director.  DECAL has been an Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grantee since 2014. Megan Fickes joined us after 14 years of Head Start/Early Head Start experience working with Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning.  Joining us to talk about DECAL’s Early Head Start partnerships is our new director, Megan Fickes, along with Deputy Commissioner of Quality Initiatives and Partnerships Dr. Bentley Ponder.  

More information can be found at Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/

If you’re a food bank, school, camp, church, government entity, or nonprofit organization, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement for serving nutritious meals to kids and teens this summer through Happy Helpings...the new name for Georgia’s Summer Food Service Program.  Here to talk about how DECAL’s Nutrition Division will ensure Georgia’s kids will have access to meals and snacks this summer is Cindy Kicklighter, Manager of Marketing and Outreach.  

Fathers, mothers, foster parents, or guardians of young children that have had a child in childcare or early intervention currently, or in the past two years…they all make up DECAL’s Family Peer Ambassadors.  The Ambassadors serve as leaders in their community, engaging families in activities to provide them with information about child development and strategies they can use to support their children’s school readiness.  Joining us to talk about the Family Peer Ambassador Program are Ann Panzica, Child and Family Development Training Specialists; Bridget Ratajczak, Child and Family Development Supervisor and three of our current DECAL Family Peer Ambassadors:  Ni’Aisha Banks-Devore, Raymond Dockery, and Mayra Velez. 

DECAL’s Child Care Services Division is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of thousands of children in Georgia while also providing training and technical assistance, licensing new child care programs, and determining exempt programs.  The division also responds to any concerns or complaints the public may have through the CCS Consultant of the Day.  Joining us to talk about the CCS Consultant of the Day is Tahishe Smith, CCS Intake Manager for the Complaint Unit. 

WSB Radio's Scott Slade talks with Commissioner Jacobs about the availability of child care, staffing shortages, and the impact of COVID-19 in Georgia.

Early child development helps build a foundation for lifelong learning, behavior, and health.  With that in in mind, DECAL and the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning have named our inaugural Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year for 2022.  The infant winner is Diana Black from Pookie Bear Learning Center in Savannah, the toddler winner is Maria Claudia Ortega from My Little Geniuses in Marietta, and the preschool winner is Hannah Beth Reeves from the Academy for Little People in Chickamauga.  On this week's podcast we are joined by all three winners in addition to Thea Stevens, Infant Toddler Supervisor here at DECAL, and Carrie Ashbee, Executive Director of the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning.  We’re also joined by Maria Moor from Georgia's Pre-K Program who will serve as Maria Claudia’s interpreter.

Research tells us that, regardless of their abilities, children in high-quality child care programs are better prepared to enter school and more likely to develop healthy social and emotional skills.  When child care providers offer inclusive child care, they’re supporting not only children with disabilities but also their parents who can work, go back to school, or just take a break.  Here to talk about the importance of inclusion in early child care and Inclusive Early Learning week are Inclusion and Behavior Support Specialists Emily Graham and Alicia Prather. 

Something new and exciting is coming to the School of Public Health at Georgia State University here in Atlanta.  The research center known as the Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development has been chosen as the future home for the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health.   Joining us to talk about plans for the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health is Laura Lucas, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Director here at DECAL; Callan Wells is Health Policy Manager for GEEARS: The Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students; Dr. Kathleen Baggett serves on the leadership team for the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health at Georgia State University; and Kathy Bragg and Dr. Trasie Topple serve as Board Co-Presidents for the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health.  

Now in its twenty-ninth year, Georgia’s Pre-K Program has more than 3,700 classes serving over 73,000 students statewide.  Those classrooms are served by 36 Pre-K specialists on a daily basis.  But who do you contact if you’re a teacher, director, parent, or the general public with a question or concern about Georgia’s Pre-K Program?  Here to talk about the Pre-K Specialist of the Day program is Jennifer McCreary, one of our Regional Managers for Georgia’s Pre-K Program.  

Starting January 18, applications are open for Round 2 of our $1,000 POWER Supplemental Payments.  POWER stands for Providing Our Workforce Essential Recognition.  You might remember we did this last spring and summer and now they’re back for 2022…$1,000 bonus payments to some 35,000 early learning professionals and staff here in Georgia.  The bonuses are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Joining us to talk about POWER supplemental payments Round 2 is Christi Moore, Director of Professional Learning here at DECAL; and Barb McWethy is Workforce Support Manager.  

Recently we surveyed our DECAL team on topics they would like to hear featured here on DECAL Download.  One of the suggestions was to launch a new feature called “A Day in the Life” where we learn more about a member of the DECAL team and what they do for Georgia’s youngest learners and their families on a daily basis.  Today we’re spending a “Day in the Life” of Rachael Lee, Quality Improvement Supervisor in our Child Care Services Division.  

It’s the holiday season and here at DECAL we’re making a list and checking it twice on gift ideas for your youngest learners, nutritious meals and snacks for the holidays, as well as our favorite traditions and New Year’s resolutions for 2022.  Joining us this week to help celebrate the season is Annie Blair, Infant Toddler Specialist; Ann Panzica, Child and Family Development Training Specialist; and LaToya Longshore, Northwest Region Child Care Consultant from CCS to talk about great gift ideas for children birth to five.  DECAL Nutrition Health Educator Diana Meyers is back with tips for navigating through those holiday parties and carbolicious casseroles in the kitchen at Grandma’s.  

Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs responds to questions from our DECAL team and our followers on social media.

Georgia’s Department of Public Health has announced that there are approximately 987,000 children ages 5-11 in Georgia who are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine...that’s about 4.4 percent of the total population in Georgia.  Commissioner, this is something we’ve been looking for and should help in containing the virus among our younger learners and ultimately making schools and child care programs safer.  Joining us to talk about COVID-19 vaccines for children in Georgia is Pam Stevens, Deputy Commissioner of Child Care Services here at DECAL, and Dr. Jenna Gettings, an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the CDC currently assigned as a school team lead with the Georgia Department of Public Health.  

In October, Commissioner Jacobs joined Governor Brian Kemp in announcing eight Georgia child care programs that have received our inaugural Quality Rated Language and Literacy Endorsement.  We’re very proud of these programs who are demonstrating a commitment to providing high-quality, language-rich environments for Georgia’s youngest learners.  Joining us to talk about Quality Rated Language and Literacy Endorsements are Laura Wagner, Community Outreach and Partnerships Director in our Quality Innovations and Partnerships Division; Angela Shelton is a Professional Learning Specialist in Georgia’s Pre-K and Instructional Supports Division; and two of the recipients of the Language and Literacy Endorsements: Beverly Johnson, owner of Discovery Point in Conyers and Jessica Whitehead, Director of Rising Star Learning Center in Mableton. 

Ten-thousand children.  That’s how much DECAL is expanding our Childcare and Parent Services or CAPS Program, as of November 1.  Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs and Governor Brian Kemp made this announcement last month to provide additional support to Georgia’s families and child care providers and to ensure more children have access to quality early educational opportunities.  Joining us to talk about expanding CAPS by 10,000 children is Elisabetta Kasfir, Deputy Commissioner for the CAPS Program in Georgia, and Miranda Gore, a mom with five children who are a part of the CAPS Program.  

For 31 years, WSB Radio’s Clark Howard and the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services has made sure that every child in Georgia’s foster care system has at least one gift on Christmas day. Traditionally, shoppers attend Clark’s live events in Walmart locations in the metro Atlanta area to purchase gifts from a child’s wish list.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain challenges, this year’s campaign is all virtual and DECAL is happy to be a part of it.  Joining us to talk about this year’s Clark’s Christmas Kids is Allison Setterlind, Director of our Head Start Collaboration Office at DECAL, who is coordinating our participation, and WSB Consumer Expert Clark Howard.  

Donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to:

DFCS Secret Santa
Division of Family and Children Services
2 Peachtree Street, NW Suite 19-432
Atlanta, GA 30303

During our recent Georgia Pre-K Week, students received a nice surprise in the mail…their own copies of a new book by children’s author and Zac Brown Band lead guitarist Coy Bowles.  The book is called “Can You Touch a Color,” and it’s a follow up to Coy’s book “Behind the Little Red Door."  Joining us this week to talk about “Can You Touch a Color” is the author and musician Coy Bowles.