More than 470,000 of Georgia’s children under the age of six are in the care of someone other than their parents for as much as 10 hours a day. Children’s experiences during this time determine if their brain architecture will provide a strong or a weak foundation for all future learning, behavior and health. It is critical that parents and child care providers have the tools they need to ensure that Georgia’s children are receiving the highest quality of early care and education. But while experts agree that quality early care and education for children is critical, resources supporting care during this crucial developmental stage are severely limited. For over 30 years, Quality Care for Children has worked to ensure that Georgia’s infants and young children are nurtured and educated and, ultimately, find excitement and joy during a lifetime of growing and learning.
The Georgia Head Start Association, Inc. (GHSA) is a statewide non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the capability of local Head Start programs to deliver quality comprehensive services to children and their families. GHSA represents the 30 Head Start and Early Head Start agencies in the state of Georgia that provide these services to over 24,000 low-income preschool children birth through five-years-old and their families.
These programs assist African American children and families who are experiencing difficulties in the areas of early care and education, health, parenting, education, and child welfare.
Promotes the National Latino Children's Agenda. Their web site offers information regarding research on policies and programs affecting Latino children, community based programs, and public education campaigns that create awareness regarding early childhood development and the needs of Latino children.
Georgia has a network of child care resource and referral (R&R) agencies to help families locate child care providers. The R&R staff member can give you a list of child care providers who meet your criteria.
Bright From the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia's children and their families. Bright from the Start oversees a wide range of programs focused primarily on children ages birth to school age and their families, including licensing and monitoring all center-based and home-based child care facilities.
Exists to lead and consolidate the efforts of individuals and groups working to achieve healthy development and constructive education for all children.