Family Resources
Whether your family attends our Academy or not, you are a part of our community.
One of our goals to giving back is to make sure pertinent information reaches our community. Regardless of our ethnic background or social status we can all appreciate being protected, loved, and included especially when it can make an impact on the lives of every family. SCROLL DOWN FOR COVID-19 UPDATES.
Meet Georgia's Licensing Agency
Bright from the Start
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia's children and their families. It administers the nationally recognized Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses child care centers and home-based child care, administers Georgia's Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia’s community powered child care rating system.
What's All this Talk about Quality Rated?
Parents and families need an independent, trustworthy resource to help them find high-quality child care, preschool, and Pre-K programs. That’s where Georgia’s Quality Rated comes in. Quality Rated has an online tool that helps families find child care in their area that have been evaluated by credentialed early childhood experts and deemed high-quality. Families can have peace of mind knowing that any participating child care program is committed to providing children an environment and experience that is best for their development.
Yes Childcare Assistance does exists.
10,000 Additional Slots Added!
The Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program assists no to low income families with the cost of child care. Families may apply for subsidized child care at Georgia Gateway. On the qualityrated.org website, after a person conducts a search for child care, there is a button on the search results page that essential services workforce can click for help finding child care. Clicking that button takes them to a web form (not on the Georgia Gateway site) that can be completed to apply for CAPS, and specifically the Essential Services Workforce priority group. They can also click the link listed below to get to the same page described.
The following two links may be helpful to you, and you can share with families who may qualify.
Link to the form on Qualityrated.org to apply for CAPS Essential Services Workforce priority group http://families.decal.ga.gov/Parent/Add . The parents do not have to go through Georgia Gateway to apply.
Link to the policy that describes the occupations that qualify for the Essential Services Workforce priority group, as well as listing all other eligibility criteria https://caps.decal.ga.gov/assets/downloads/COVID-19_Priority_Group_Memorandum_4.1.2020.pdf .
Temperament Tool
The Infant Toddler Temperament Tool includes a short online survey that allows parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers to recognize and explore their own temperament traits and those of a child for which they provide care. The IT3 generates results which support parents and caregivers in understanding how adult and child similarities and differences in temperament traits may affect “goodness of fit.” Along with these results, the IT3 generates simple best practice tips adults can use to foster the unique temperament of each child within their care
Immunization Requirements
Routine physicals are required according to the current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, https://www.aap.org. We require families to submit immunizations form 3231 no later than the first start day and Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Nutrition and Dental screening form 3300 for those 4 years and up within 90 days of enrollment. These can be obtained from primary doctor or local health department.
Strengthening Families Resources
Five Protective Factors are the foundation of the Strengthening Families Approach: parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need and social and emotional competence of children. Research studies support the common-sense notion that when these Protective Factors are well established in a family, the likelihood of child abuse and neglect diminishes. Research shows that these protective factors build family strengths and a family environment that promotes optimal child and youth development.
Farm to ECE: Cultivating Healthy Habits for Our Littlest eaters.
Farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) offers increased access to the same three core elements of local food sourcing, school gardens and food and agriculture education to enhance the quality of the educational experience in all types of ECE settings (e.g., preschools, child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start/Early Head Start, programs in K - 12 school districts). Farm to ECE offers benefits that parallel the goals and priorities of the early care and education community including emphasis on experiential learning opportunities, parent and community engagement and life-long health and wellness for children, families and caregivers.
Taking your Business to the next level.
There are so many free classes online at SBA.Gov. Get help planning, launching, managing and growing your business!
Important Numbers
24 hour Poison Emergency Hotline
800-222-1222
Babies Can't Wait (referrals)
800-229-2038
Great Start Georgia (referrals)
855-707-8277
Care Solutions, Inc
800-227-3410
DFCS Customer Service Helpline
800-869-1150
FoodBank http://www.acfb.org
404-892-3333
GA Child Care Service (licensing)
404-463-0703
GA Dept of Early Care & Learning (DECAL)
888-442-7735
National Child Safety Council
800-222-1464
Pre K
888-4GA-PREK
Quality Care For Children 404-479-4182
Women, Infants & Children (WIC)
800-228-9173
Every county has a WIC office.
Child Abuse Prevention
Prevent Child Abuse (PCA) Georgia provides statewide direction to build safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments to prevent child abuse and neglect and has over 30 local councils located throughout the state who advocate and implement prevention practices in their communities. PCA Georgia is applying an intentional equity and racial justice lens to our work. A child’s race, ethnicity, gender, family income, or neighborhood should not predict their future success and well-being.