It is Legislative Session and Lobby Day season!  It’s time to contact your State Representative and Senator to urge them to invest at least $20 million in additional state funding for Georgia’s Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) Program in the FY2025 budget. CAPS, which is administered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), provides low-income working families with scholarships to help them afford child care and continue participating in the workforce or pursuing higher education.
Child care is crucial to many families’ economic security and to children’s long-term success. Increasing access to child care will bolster Georgia’s workforce and benefit our state’s economy. Currently, childcare challenges in Georgia lead to at least $1.75 billion in losses in economic activity annually. More than 1 in 3 Georgia parents with young children reported they had to quit a job, not take a job, or greatly change a job due to problems with child care.
On the next page there will be an email template you can use to email your representatives, you can also add your personal story to uplift the need for funding for Childcare and how it is a real issue for our communities!