Workforce Supports
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 professionals 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.
Workforce Supports launched the revised Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) website 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, and share lesson plans and activities with colleagues.
We partnered with various people and agencies throughout the state to revise the Workforce Knowledge and Competencies for Program Administrators and Education Leaders and Trainers which will be posted for public comment in the coming months. These updates will bring the current administrator and trainer competencies into alignment with the format of Georgia’s Workforce Knowledge and Competencies.
Child Care Tuition Assistance Program for Early Educators
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is currently in the pilot phase of 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, currently servicing over 60 centers, supports 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 or learning center provider, aide, assistant, lead teacher, assistant teacher, Georgia’s Pre-K teacher, director, assistant director, floater, or school age staff working in licensed child care.
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 visit decalscholars.com. You may also reach out by phone or email: 770-642-6722 or email support@decalscholars.com.
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 a department of DECAL that approves trainers, training organizations, and conferences to offer state approved trainings for credit hours to early care and education professionals. If you are interested in joining Georgia’s community of state approved trainers and training organizations, 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.