Bobby D. Cagle, MSW Commissioner

1. Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) Business Community Advisory Committee July 24, 2012 Bobby D. Cagle, MSW Commissioner

2. Agenda • Welcome – Commissioner Cagle • DECAL Advisory Network • Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything-Video • Overview of DECAL Programs • Child Care Services • Quality Initiatives • Georgia’s Pre-K Program • Nutrition Services • Opportunities for Business Partnerships • GEEARS – Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students • Mindy Binderman, Executive Director • Voices for Georgia’s Children • Pat Willis, Executive Director • Business Community Feedback • Questions and Answers • Useful Resources

3. DECAL Advisory Network • Launched January, 2012 • Made up of 12 committees • Engages over 100 Georgia citizens interested in early childhood education and care • Fosters improved communication with the community

4. DECAL Advisory Committees

5. Change the First Five Years Video

6. DECAL Overview - Child Care Services • Licenses 6,300 facilities • Serves 376,650 children and families • Family Child Care, Group Child Care, and Child Care Learning Centers • Provides opportunities for participation in other DECAL programs and services • Many on the call are Georgia businesses who provide employer sponsored child care programs

7. DECAL Overview – Quality Initiatives • . • Over 700 programs participating • Georgia Program for Infant and Toddler Care (GAPITC) • Technical Assistance • Training • Website (GAPITC.org) • Statewide Inclusion Project • Inclusion Coordinators • Training

8. DECAL Overview - Quality Initiatives • Child and Parent Services (CAPS) • Child Care Subsidy • Tiered Reimbursement • Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&R) • SCHOLARSHIPS and INCENTIVES • Accreditation Facilitation Projects

9. DECAL Overview - Georgia’s Pre-K Program • Key Components of the Program • Universality • Standards Based Instruction • Parent Choice • Public/Private Partnerships • High Quality – Meets 10/10 quality standards • Funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education • Celebrating 20 years this school year! • 2012-2013: 84,000 slots statewide

10. DECAL Overview - Nutrition Services • USDA Food Programs • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) • Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) • USDA provides funding for nutritious meals • Both programs help alleviate hunger and malnutrition

11. GEEARS - Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students • Mindy Binderman, Executive Director

12. GEEARS - Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students • GEEARS was established in 2010 • Vision: By 2020, all of Georgia's children will enter school prepared to succeed and on a path to read to learn by 3rd grade. • Mission: To inspire and lead a statewide movement to maximize the return on investment for quality early learning and healthy development for children ages birth to five.

13. GEEARS - Opportunities for Business Partnerships • 2013 National Business Leaders Summit • Planned for Fall, 2013 to coincide with East Lake Golf Tournament • Centerpiece will be a joint statement of support for quality early learning for CEO’s • Opportunity to spotlight Georgia as a national leader g

14. GEEARS – Other Opportunities for Business Partnerships • Educate employees on early brain development and importance of quality early learning • Work with DECAL, GEEARS, and Georgia Family Connection Partnership to support Quality Rated • Help GEEARS and other partners advocate for children birth to five at the State Capitol

15. Voices for Georgia’s Children • Pat Willis, Executive Director

16. Voices for Georgia’s Children • Mission: To be a powerful, unifying voice for a public agenda that will improve the wellbeing of all of Georgia’s children • Policy Agenda for Children: Early Childhood, Health, Youth in Transition • Strategies: Information resource, convener, coalition builder, lobbyist

17. Voices for Georgia’s Children Critical Issues for Advocacy for Young Children • State investment in children from birth to five years • Stabilize funding for Children First: Early screening and identification of health and developmental problems • Maximize participation in Quality Rated • Increase access to child care subsidies • Restore Resource Coordinators to Georgia’s Pre-K • Fully fund Georgia’s Pre-K

18. Business Community Feedback Please tell us about what you are already doing in early childhood education.

19. Questions and Answers From a business perspective, how can we work with you to promote high quality childhood education?

20. Contact Information Commissioner Bobby Cagle Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Bobby.Cagle@decal.ga.gov (404) 651-7432 Pat Willis, Executive Director Voices for Georgia's Children PWillis@georgiavoices.org (404) 521-0311 Mindy Binderman GEEARS-Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students MBinderman@geears.org (678) 689-3482

21. Useful Resources • Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning • www.decal.ga.gov • Georgia Program for Infant and Toddler Care • www.gapitc.org • Voices for Georgia’s Children • www.georgiavoices.org • GEEARS-Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students • www.geears.org • Change the First Five Years video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbSp88PBe9E