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Send us Fan Mail For many kids across Georgia, summer vacation means more fun and free time. But for kids facing food insecurity, made worse by COVID’s impact on already tight-family budgets, no school can also mean limited access to affordable, nutritious foods.  That's where Happy Helpings comes in…it’s the summer food service program funded by USDA and administered by DECAL. Joining us tod...

Send us Fan Mail This week we’re introducing a new feature on DECAL Download called Small Wonders.  Partnering with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Small Wonders will bring you trusted expert advice on raising young children from birth to age five. Joining us for this first installment of Small Wonders is Dr. Nicola Chin, a pediatrician here in metro Atlanta. Dr. Chin is a native of Jamaica, W...

Send us Fan Mail Meals and snacks can be dangerous. Choking accidents remain a leading cause of injury and even death among young children both in child care settings and at home.  In 2024, Georgia suffered two incidents where toddlers in child care choked while eating fruit and later died…one in Brunswick and one in Alpharetta. In response to those tragedies, DECAL has created a new campaign to e...

Send us Fan Mail On September 30, DECAL named our new Georgia Pre-K Program Teachers of the Year for the 2025-2026 school year with surprise visits to their classrooms.  We were thrilled to spotlight two remarkable educators who have shown exceptional commitment and passion for early childhood education and today we get to meet them both personally. Joining us are your new Georgia’s Pre-K Program...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re discussing a topic that’s bringing well-deserved recognition—and financial support—to the educators who are the backbone of our child care system: the Quality Rated Workforce Bonuses. Funded by DECAL, this annual $500 bonus is a way to say “thank you” to the teachers and staff who go above and beyond in serving children and families. Joining us with an update on the Qu...

Send us Fan Mail Open Enrollment for health benefits is a pivotal time for employees here at DECAL. During this annual window…this year October 20 to November 8…staff members can review, select, or update their health insurance and related coverage options to best meet their needs and those of their families. Joining us to talk about Open Enrollment is Sabrina Henry, Senior Manager of Human Resour...

Send us Fan Mail It's Georgia Pre-K Week and we're talking with Coy Bowles, a Grammy award-winning guitarist for the Zac Brown Band and advocate for children’s education and creativity, and Malcolm Mitchell, former Georgia Bulldog, Super Bowl champion, and literacy advocate, about their new book Every Amazing Story. The book takes young readers on a creative journey that shows every chil...

Send us Fan Mail This week we’re excited to spotlight a very special occasion: the 15th annual Georgia’s Pre-K Week, taking place October 6th through 10th, 2025. For fifteen years, this tradition has united leaders and communities across Georgia to celebrate the power of early education. Again this year we are partnering with Voices for Georgia’s Children, and we have a very special book for every...

Send us Fan Mail This week we’re talking with the Georgia Foundation of Early Care and Learning about a new round of Early Literacy Alignment Mini-Grants. With up to $5,000 in funding, these grants bring public elementary schools and local child care programs together to foster innovative, vertically aligned literacy practices.  Joining us to talk about the Early Literacy Alignment Mini-Grants is...

Send us Fan Mail This week we’re focusing on a topic that’s essential for the safety and well-being of our youngest learners, criminal background checks. Whether you are a parent, provider, or educator, understanding how DECAL conducts these checks is crucial to ensuring that our early care environments remain safe and trustworthy. Joining us to talk about Criminal Background Checks in Georgia is...

Send us Fan Mail This week we’re talking about a significant development that promises to enhance support for families in our community. DECAL has created the Quality Rated Family Support Call Center that can be reached through the popular 877-ALL-GA KIDS phone number the agency created many years ago. Joining us to talk about the new Quality Rated Family Support Call Center is Sonja Steptoe, Assi...

Send us Fan Mail The third cohort of the Georgia 2Gen Academy celebrated its graduation in early June marking a significant milestone in the state’s commitment to fostering holistic support for children and families. Joining us to talk about their experience with Georgia’s 2Gen Academy are Quandra Obi, Special Assistant to Commissioner Jacobs and Board Liaison, Bridget Ratajczak, DECAL’s Child and...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we’re shining a spotlight on a vital aspect of child care—preparing for provider inspections. Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned pro, the inspection process can feel daunting, but knowledge is the key to confidence. That’s why CCS has been offering a series of Lunch & Learn webinars breaking down what providers need to know before, during, and after inspectio...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re talking about the recent digital transformation of the DECAL Homepage at decal.ga.gov, freshly updated as of June 30. The new Homepage is more intuitive than ever, streamlining the user experience and putting information right at your fingertips. Plus, with the addition of the innovative Ask CALI chatbot, finding answers and navigating resources has never been easier....

Send us Fan Mail This week we’re turning our attention to one of the most important milestones in early childhood education: preparing for Georgia’s Pre-K Program. We have assembled a panel of experts to explore what families, educators, and communities can do to ensure children are ready for a successful year of learning and growth. Joining us this week are Georgia’s Pre-K Program Specialists Ali...

Send us Fan Mail For the second time, DECAL has awarded Community Impact Grants—a bold step aimed at closing opportunity gaps and fostering long-term positive outcomes for children birth to eight and their families. Designed to encourage collaboration across sectors, Community Impact Grants challenge non-profits, school systems, and government entities to come together and craft community-specific...

Send us Fan Mail Prevent Child Abuse Georgia has rebranded to Positive Childhood Alliance Georgia . This shift marks a change in the organization’s evolving commitment to creating safe and nurturing environments for children. In this episode we speak with Jennifer Stein, Executive Director at PCA Georgia to understand what inspired this change and what the future looks like for the organization. S...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re talking about building learning environments where every child, regardless of ability, can thrive. DECAL has introduced an exciting initiative, the Adaptive Learning Mini-Grant Opportunity! Joining us this week is Peggy Sutton, Jenn Dover, Esther Whitaker, plus Shaheen Ehani, Director at Kids Galaxy of Marietta, and Abby Brooke, Assistant Director of Doodlebugs Childca...

Send us Fan Mail This week we’re talking about a great partnership between DECAL and Georgia’s Path2College 529 Plan: the annual We Care, Child Care Sweepstakes. Now open for entries, this initiative will award four Georgia families—each from different regions—a $1,529 college scholarship for their child. At the same time, the child care program each winner attends will receive $1,529 cash to bols...

Send us Fan Mail With a workforce of 800 employees spanning Georgia, the DECAL team travels extensively between cities to visit child care programs and engage with community partners and advocates. Through their experiences, they have accumulated valuable insights regarding the best dining establishments in Georgia…from sit-down meals to sweet treats to enjoy along the highways and byways.  Joinin...

Send us Fan Mail At their May 15 quarterly meeting, members of the Board of Early Care and Learning elected new officers. The 14-member body is an advisory board to Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, all appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to seat representing their congressional districts. Joining us to talk about their new roles on the Board of Early C...

Send us Fan Mail This week we're diving into the new CAPS Advisory Councils…one for parents and one for providers. These groups are here to share insights and feedback on the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program to help make it better and easier to access. Joining us is Elisabetta Kasfir, Deputy Commissioner for Federal Programs, Amy Roys, CAPS Director for Development and Partnership...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re diving into the exciting world of internships with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Whether you're a student considering a career in early childhood education or someone looking to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young children, this episode is packed with valuable insights and information that will guide you through the internship oppor...

Send us Fan Mail From 2020-2023, DECAL received $2B+ in federal relief funds, fueling initiatives for Georgia’s child care providers, workforce & families. Dive into the impact w/ insights from DECAL & Child Trends. Joining us to talk about COVID-19 relief funding and to help us follow the money is an impressive panel of guests: Shayna Funke, DECAL Director of Research Partnerships and Bus...

Send us Fan Mail DECAL has recently announced the launch of our Quality Rated Workforce Bonus payments, a groundbreaking effort that stands among the first of its kind in the nation. This initiative underscores DECAL's unwavering commitment to investing in our dedicated teachers and support staff. These professionals play an essential role in providing high-quality early education and care fo...