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Workforce Support Updates

Workforce Supports Team

The Workforce Supports Team leads the state’s efforts to develop and implement strategies to recruit and retain high quality early childhood educators who serve the children and families of Georgia. To support as many who wish to enter the field as possible, the team continues to create new opportunities to best meet the needs of Georgia’s early childhood educators. The information below will provide details on some of our latest programs.

Workforce Supports launched the revised Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) website in January which allows users to explore the state early learning standards, create lesson plans, select and create activities that meet the needs of the children they work with, share lesson plans and activities with colleagues within their program or to save and email them outside of their program. We

We partnered with various people and agencies throughout the state to revise the Workforce Knowledge and Competencies for Program Administrators and Education Leaders (WKC:PA/EL) and Trainers (WKC: Trainers) which will be posted for public comment in the coming months. These updates are modeled after the Workforce Knowledge and Competencies that our state-approved trainers utilize in their professional development offerings.

Child Care Tuition Assistance Program for Early Educators

The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) announced it is offering child 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.

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.

The application will be available from October 11, 2023 until 5:00 PM on October 20, 2023. Click here to apply, Child Care Tuition Assistance Application.

For those who were unable to attend, here is the recording of the Child Care Tuition Assistance Webinar, Passcode: 4TUwbP!G.

For more information on child care tuition assistance, email proflearning@decal.ga.gov.

POWER-ED and Updates to DECAL Scholars

The POWER supplemental payment has been reimagined to become POWER-ED (Providing Our Workforce Essential Recognition for Educational Development). POWER-ED provides wage supplements for Scholarships recipients while they are pursuing their credential or degree in early childhood education

The DECAL Scholars program has also been updated to offer even more financial support to early childhood professionals pursuing a degree or credential in early childhood education. Eligibility requirements have been updated to allow access to more early childhood educators.

For more information on DECAL Scholars visit decalscholars.com. You may also reach out by phone or email: 770-642-6722 or email support@decalscholars.com.

CDA with CLASS Facilitated

DECAL has partnered with Teachstone to offer CDA with CLASS Facilitated free of charge! The CDA with CLASS Facilitated provides educators with guidance and support to complete their required coursework and portfolio requirements, while learning ways to improve teacher-student interactions. Upon completion of the program, educators with classroom experience will have all they need to obtain their CDA. Those who successfully complete the requirements may be eligible for POWER-ED and Incentives through DECAL Scholars. For more information email proflearning@decal.ga.gov and put CDA with CLASS in the subject line.

CDA Trainer Grants

DECAL has awarded 18 grants to Georgia Approved CDA Trainers and ASOs (Approved Sponsor Organizations) to assist in recruitment and retention of qualified staff. Trainers submitted applications showing partnerships with child care learning centers and family child care learning homes to support staff in obtaining a CDA. Grants include the cost of the course, materials needed, on-site coaching, portfolio assistance, and funds to provide stipends for child care or substitute staff while candidates are in class.

We would like to recognize our CDA Trainer Grant Recipients

  • Althea Penn, Penn Consulting
  • Bisa Lewis, Ideal Early Learning LLC
  • Bobbie J. Mason, One Source Consultant Company, Inc.
  • Candace Thigpen, Summit Training Specialists
  • Danielle Hardy, Inspiring Quality Care
  • Jennifer Pasteur, Childcare Training Network LLC
  • Kiki Singletary-Williams, Kiki Michelle, LLC
  • Linda Adams, Educational Access Inc.
  • Michelle Abercrombie, ACS-Early Childhood Fundamentals
  • Melody Johnson
  • Michelle Matthews, Atlanta Center for Professional Development
  • Na’Keya Thomas, Amodestri Associates
  • Rudine Freeman, Love in Action Training
  • Sharon Hudgens-Beck, Destiny Educational Consulting
  • Sara Howard, Parents Plus United
  • Sarah McLendon, ECE Consulting and Staff Training
  • Tara Burke, Burke ECE Professional Development
  • Uneeta Dennis, Edifying Early Childhood Consultants

CDA Professional Development Specialists (CDA PDS)

To ensure CDA candidates in Georgia can complete the final requirements of the credential, DECAL has implemented a project to recruit qualified candidates to become a CDA Professional Development Specialist (PDS), with priority given to those willing to travel to underserved areas. Through this project the successful CDA PDS will receive a sign-on bonus, a quarterly stipend, and a CDA PDS renewal stipend. For more information, please email proflearning@decal.ga.gov and include CDA PDS in the subject line.

Georgia Training Approval

Georgia Training Approval is your contact to learn more about providing high quality training to the early childhood educators of Georgia. If you are interested in joining Georgia’s community of state approved trainers or for assistance on developing and delivering training for state approved credit, please visit https://gapds.decal.ga.gov/Shared/StateApprovedTrainerHelp.aspx. You may also email us at TrainingApproval@decal.ga.gov or call 404-267-2760 and select option 2.

Get Workforce Updates

We have a variety of ways for you to connect with us! You can sign up for text updates, reach out via email, or follow Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning on social media.

TEXT: To receive occasional text updates about new or updated Workforce Supports initiatives text Workforce23 to 470.671.3444 (standard texting rates may apply).

Email: proflearning@decal.ga.gov

Georgia Training Approval: TrainingApproval@decal.ga.gov or call 404-267-2760 and select option2.

GaPDS:https://gapds.decal.ga.gov

For questions regarding registration or training certificates please reach out to GaPDS by emailing gapds@decal.ga.gov or by calling 404-267-2760 and select option 4 within the metro Atlanta area, outside of the metro please call 1-888-92-GAPDS (42737) and select option 4

DECAL Scholars: https://www.decalscholars.com/ , call 770-642-6722, or email support@decalscholars.com .