Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Programs

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is the state agency in Georgia responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of young children and their families before they enter kindergarten. Established on July 1, 2004, with its main office in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, DECAL plays a vital role in ensuring that Georgia's youngest learners have access to high-quality early learning experiences, regardless of their family income or geographic location. The department licenses and monitors daycare centers and all state-funded Pre-K programs.

Mission and Core Principles

The mission, vision, and work of Bright from the Start are deeply embedded in four pillars. By ensuring access to high-quality early learning for all Georgians, DECAL strives to make these four pillars accessible to all of Georgia’s youngest learners. DECAL incorporates Language Nutrition throughout their family engagement work and professional learning programs for early childhood educators focused on responsivity and building positive classroom interactions.

Key Programs and Services

DECAL offers a range of programs and services designed to support early childhood development and provide access to quality care and education. These include:

Georgia's Pre-K Program: DECAL serves more than 80,000 4-year-olds in the state’s high-quality, universal pre-K program.
Child Care Subsidy Program: Provides child care for more than 40,000 children of low-income families. As of October 1, 2016, CAPS (Childcare and Parent Services) childcare payments are available only to the following priority groups: TANF applicants and recipients, children in DFCS custody or in Child Protective Services, minor parents in school, grandparents raising grandchildren, children with special needs, children in Georgia’s Pre-K Program requiring extended care, or victims of a natural disaster, persons who are considered homeless, persons experiencing domestic violence, and families with very low income. The CAPS Program is funded by CCDF (Child Care and Development Fund).
Head Start State Collaboration Office: With 32 Georgia entities providing Head Start and Early Head Start services to more than 24,000 children ages birth to 5, DECAL’s Head Start State Collaboration Office encourages and supports partnerships among federally funded Head Start programs, state-funded early childhood programs, and local communities. The goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality of services to low-income families.
Quality Rated: Georgia’s tiered quality rating and improvement system helps families find child care programs that have gone above and beyond state licensing standards to focus on quality. Based on a rigorous process, Quality Rated awards child care programs with a 1-, 2-, or 3-star rating, reflecting a positive learning climate.
Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS): DECAL also supports Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) in early learning programs to help ensure young children benefit from learning climates that support their growth and development.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is federally funded and reimburses providers for giving meals to children or adults in a day care. Providers include adult care centers, child care centers, family child care homes, emergency shelters, and after-school programs. Funding comes through grants from the USDA. Most children served are 12 years of age or younger, but in after-school programs, children through 18 may be eligible for reimbursement.

Importance of Quality Child Care

Many of Georgia's children are cared for outside of their homes each day. It is important that these places be nurturing, healthy, and safe, and also offer opportunities to learn and grow, so that children can develop. In Georgia, there are 3000 child care learning centers, 3100 child care learning homes, and 2000 informal care providers.

Professional Development and Training

Bright from the Start offers a variety of training to further the participant's education and knowledge. Some training may provide assistance with a child that has special needs. Bright from the Start has yearly conferences to offer training and Continuing Education Unit (CEU).

Funding Sources

The funding of Bright from the Start comes from several funds that include state lottery, general state funds, Head Start programs, federal block grants, and federal nutrition programs.

Leadership and Structure

Bright from the Start is headed by one commissioner and by a board of administrators.

Recent Activities and Initiatives

DECAL actively engages with communities and partners to promote early childhood development. Recent activities include:

Community outreach events to share resources with families and build partnerships with community organizations. For example, Brittany Marks, Central East Community Coordinator, joined Family Peer Ambassadors Ebony Tolbert & Deborah Truitt at Ivy Prep Academy in Atlanta on 9/19 for the Million Fathers March sharing resources with dads & community partners! Tomisher Campbell, Southeast Community Coordinator, joined the Medical Employment & Resource Fair at Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia on Sept. 18 to connect with community members, share resources, & build partnerships.
Webinars and resources for child care providers on topics such as tax savings. For example, Civitas Strategies is providing two new, free resources: A webinar led by Civitas founder Gary Romano on Wednesday, September 24 at 7 pm covering Implications of the New Federal Tax Law Changes. The app also gives you a personalized report to share with your tax preparer!
Participation in events and summits focused on early childhood education and family support. For example, DECAL representatives explored adaptive early childhood environments at Apparo Academy in Augusta on the GEEARS Bus Tour. Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs received the Georgia 2Gen Champion Award at the Georgia2Gen Summit.
Career opportunities within DECAL for professionals in early childhood education and family support.

Future Goals

Bright from the Start wants to increase the number of Georgia's children and families that will become accessible to quality care and learning programs.

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