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Here’s some great news for families who receive CAPS scholarship assistance in paying for child care. Through the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, DECAL has allocated around $95 million to help eligible Georgia families negatively impacted by the pandemic pay for child care.  We’re using this historic investment in early learning to support families through a special initiative called ACCESS, which stands for Awarding Child Care Education Scholarship Supplements.  Joining us to talk about ACCESS and the CAPS Program is Elisabetta Kasfir, Deputy Commissioner of CAPS; and Carolyn Morkeh, CAPS Family Support Manager.  

For the eighth consecutive year, DECAL is calling for families and caregivers of children to increase awareness of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles. On Thursday, May 27, 2021, we held this virtual news conference with the Georgia Department of Public Health and the University of Georgia. 

Quality Rated is Georgia’s system to determine, improve, and communicate the quality of programs that provide child care. Similar to rating systems for restaurants and hotels, Quality Rated (which is a three star system) assigns one, two or three stars to early education and school-age care programs that meet or exceed the minimum state requirements. After launching in 2012, today fifty-five percent of all  eligible  child care programs in Georgia are Quality Rated.  

As many may be aware, in 2015 DECAL established a CAPS/Quality Rated goal of all providers who participate in the CAPS program being Quality Rated by December 31, 2020.  We were well on our way of achieving that goal.  But then along comes a pandemic in 2020 and impacts this goal.  The deadline has been extended to December 31, 2021. 

Joining us to talk about CAPS and Quality Rated is Shawnell Johnson, Director of Operations for CAPS Program Administration; Denise Jenson, Quality Rated Operations Director, and Dr. Bentley Ponder, Deputy Commissioner for Quality Innovations and Partnerships.  

As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continues and availability improves, the focus is beginning to shift to vaccinating children, ages 12-15, and possibly younger in the near future.  There has also been a change in CDC guidance on the use of masks for those who are fully vaccinated.  What impact will that have on COVID guidance for Georgia child care?  Joining us on the podcast today is Pam Stevens, Deputy Commissioner of Child Care Services, and Dr. Georgina Peacock who currently serves as the Georgia Department of Health Chief Medical Officer as a Center for Disease Control Assignee.  

For the eighth consecutive year, DECAL is calling for families and caregivers to increase awareness of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles.  Joining us to talk about our annual Look Again campaign and ways to prevent pediatric vehicular heatstroke are Dana Morrison and Rhonda Parker, both directors of field operations with Child Care Services here at DECAL; and Lisa Dawson, Director of the Injury Prevention Program for the Georgia Department of Public Health.

This year is the 20th anniversary of the DECAL Scholars Program that provides financial and educational support to our early care and education workforce. The program is known for providing scholarships to assist with educational expenses, awards when you earn an ECE credential or degree, and incentives which provide a salary boost when you earn your entry level credential or higher education degree.  As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, DECAL will recognize two Scholars of the Year…one from a four-year college and one from a technical college.  Joining us to talk about DECAL Scholars and the 20th anniversary is Brandi Swain from CARE Solutions; Barbara McWethy our Workforce Support Manager; and Carrie Ashbee, executive director of the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning.  

Starting May 17, applications will be open for the $1,000 POWER Supplemental Payments.  The payments were announced earlier this year by Governor Brian Kemp and Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs…a one-time, $1,000 bonus payment to some 65,000 early learning professionals and staff.  The bonuses will be funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

Joining us to talk about POWER supplemental payments is Christi Moore, Director of Professional Learning here at DECAL; Barb McWethy is Workforce Support Manager; and Nina Bryant-Hunter, Early Childhood Center Director at the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority. 

This school year has been challenging …however before you know it, the 2021-2022 school year will begin.  We are hearing from families who have concerns about whether their children are ready for the upcoming school year.  Today we are going to focus on the transition to Kindergarten and what families can be doing now to prepare for a successful transition.  Joining us to talk about the transition from Georgia’s Pre-K Program to Kindergarten is Faith Duncan, Director of Georgia’s Pre-K Program; Jessica Cobert, Mikaela Fitzpatrick, and Jennifer Robison, kindergarten teachers with the Gwinnett County School System,; and Joslin Gumbs, a Fulton County kindergarten teacher.   

In May, for the first time, DECAL will celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week as  a reminder for all of us that the early years in a child’s life provide a key opportunity to establish safe and secure relationships and support healthy social and emotional development.  Joining us to talk about Children’s Mental Health Week is Laura Lucas, our new Director of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health here at DECAL, and State Representative Katie Dempsey who represents Rome and Northwest Georgia and is Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources and a House Study Committee on Infant and Toddler Social and Emotional Health.  

Educators, school nutrition staff, early care providers, and agriculture professionals will come together April 27 through May 1 for the eighth Georgia Farm to School and Early Care and Education Summit.  Joining us to talk about the event is Kimberly Della Donna, Farm to School Director at Georgia Organics, and Diana Myers, Nutrition Health Educator here at DECAL. 

DECAL and the Technical College System of Georgia have received a $150,000 grant from the Aspen Institute to increase economic mobility and well-being for students who are parents.  Joining us to talk about the Aspen Policy Acceleration Partnership is Donna Johnson, Family Support Director for Development and Partnerships with Georgia’s CAPS Program, and Cayanna Good, Assistant Commissioner for Adult Education with TCSG.

On March 8, all Georgia Pre-K teachers, child care teachers, and child care staff in programs with a license or exemption from DECAL became eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.  Since then, teachers and staff have been flocking to nine mass vaccination sites from Clarksville to Savannah as well as local health departments and pharmacies to get vaccinated.  On today’s podcast, we’re going to tackle some of the frequently asked questions we are hearing from the child care workforce.  Joining us to talk about COVID-19 vaccines for early education teachers and staff is Pam Stevens, Deputy Commissioner of Child Care Services, and Dr. Georgina Peacock who currently serves as the Georgia Department of Health Chief Medical Officer as a Center for Disease Control Assignee.  She also oversees the CDC Vaccine Implementation Unit.  

Beginning March 22, all licensed Georgia child care providers may apply for a third round of Short Term Assistance Benefit for Licensed Entities (STABLE) payments from DECAL.  Funding for these payments comes from the federal CARES Act and part of our ongoing efforts to support early child care providers still struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Joining us to talk about Round 3 of STABLE payments and how you can apply is Woody Dover, Enterprise Project Management Director here at DECAL.  

Governor Brian Kemp and Commissioner Jacobs recently announced plans to provide a one-time, $1,000 bonus payment to every Georgia’s Pre-K Program teacher, assistant teacher, and birth-5 child care teacher in the state.  The bonuses will be funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Joining us to talk about POWER (Providing Our Workforce with Essential Recognition) is Susan Adams, Deputy Commissioner of Georgia’s Pre-K Program and Instructional Supports; Barbara McWethy who is Manager of Workforce Support in our Professional Learning Group, and Yiet Knight who is owner of the Universal Child Care and Learning Center in Augusta, a three-star Quality Rated program, and part of our Quality Rated Peer Support Network.  

It’s that time again!  DECAL is seeking applications for Georgia’s Pre-K Program Teachers of the Year for 2021-2022. DECAL will select a winner from a local public school system and a winner from a private child care center.  Joining us to talk about applying for Georgia’s Pre-K Teachers of the Year is Meghan McNail, Summer Transition and Outreach Manager for Georgia’s Pre-K Program; Channie Frazier is a pre-K teacher at Kids World Learning Center in Statesboro and was our Pre-K Teacher of the Year for 2016-2017; Nathan Leatherwood is a Pre-K teacher at Calhoun City Pre-K and was Pre-K Teacher of the Year for 2017-2018; and Stephanie Westhafter is a Pre-K teacher at Georgia Kids Academy in Hoschton and was Pre-K Teacher of the Year for 2018-2019.  

Last summer, DECAL joined the Governor’s Office and the Georgia Department of Public Health in providing COVID-19 guidance for Georgia Child Care facilities.  Now, at almost a year into the pandemic and public health emergency, we have updated that guidance to support providers, teachers, and of course Georgia’s children and families.  Joining us to talk about Updates and Changes to our COVID-19 Guidance for Georgia Child Care Facilities is Pam Stevens, Deputy Commissioner of Child Care Services, April Rogers, CCS Director of Enforcement Operations, and Ebony Thomas, Epidemiologist with the Georgia Department of Public Health.  PLUS we have the latest information o n COVID-19 vaccines for Pre-K and child care teachers and staff. 

Communities across Georgia who are interested in promoting high-quality early childhood care and education are applying for three separate Community Impact Grant opportunities from DECAL.  Funding for these grants was made possible by the $11.2 million Preschool Development Renewal Grant that Georgia received in January 2020 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education.  Joining us to talk about the Community Impact Grants is Dr. Bentley Ponder, Deputy Commissioner for Quality Innovations and Partnerships, Laura Wagner, Community Outreach and Partnerships Director, and Jill O’ Meara, Community Partnerships and Projects Manager.  

For the 11th year, DECAL is offering a six-week 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 Transition Program is Meghan McNail, Summer Transition Program and Outreach Manager, Ashley Manning, whose son attended the Summer Transition Program at Little Ones Learning Center in Forest Park, and Jeff Randa, Director of Quality Implementation for Easter Seals of North Georgia, who hosted five Summer Transition classes, even last summer during the pandemic.  

Many of Georgia’s kids became especially vulnerable last March when schools closed because of the pandemic.  Families were left struggling to feed their children.  And, with many parents out of work, it’s likely that more kids—as many as one in four—may face hunger in the months ahead, especially when school is out for the summer. 

DECAL’s Summer Food Service Program is one solution that helps children get the nutrition they need.  This program benefits the whole community by closing the food insecurity gap and providing local economies with federal reimbursement funds.  Joining us today to talk about how the Nutrition Division will ensure Georgia’s kids will have access to meals and snacks this summer is Tamika Boone, Director of Nutrition Services and Cindy Kicklighter, Manager of Marketing and Outreach.  

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.  That’s why every year in February we celebrate Inclusive Early Learning Week here at DECAL.   Here to talk about the importance of inclusion in early child care and Inclusive Early Learning week are Lindsey Urry, Regional Supervisor of Inclusion and Behavior Support, and Inclusion and Behavior Support Specialists Roseanne Hamrick and Megan McGraw.