(Media release from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning):
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) announced it is offering chid care tuition assistance for early educators in Georgia to help the child care industry recruit and retain professional staff. Using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), this program will support the cost of child care for children of individuals working in the pilot child care programs.
“The turnover rate among professionals working in Georgia’s early care and education industry is an obstacle to providing high quality care to Georgia’s children,” said DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs. “Through this pilot program, DECAL will pay a portion of child care costs for the children of employees of the child care programs in which they work. This tuition support will be an incentive for early care and education professionals to stay in their jobs.”
Commissioner Jacobs said 30 licensed child care programs in Georgia will be chosen to participate in the pilot program: 24 child care learning centers and six family child care learning homes. DECAL will pay 75% of the published child care tuition rates to the employer for each eligible staff member. Employers must cover a minimum of 15% of the published tuition rate, and employees pay 10%; however, employers can cover that additional 10% themselves if they wish.
Eligible child care employees must work at least 30 hours per week as a family child care learning center provider, aide, or assistant, or a Georgia’s Pre-K teacher or assistant teacher, child care lead teacher or assistant teacher, child care director or assistant director, child care floater, or school age staff working in licensed child care.
DECAL is currently developing a simple application to participate in the pilot which will be available on our website by Wednesday, October 11, 2023; programs will be randomly selected from all complete applications submitted by the application deadline of October 20, 2023.
For more information on child care tuition assistance, contact Care Solutions at 800.227.3410 or [email protected].