Economic Impact Studies

Through a collaboration between researchers at the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, DECAL has commissioned periodic studies on the economic impact of the early care and education (ECE) industry in Georgia covering multiple years from 2008 through 2024. These studies explore the importance of the industry to Georgia’s economy. The next release will examine the economic impact in 2025. Study reports can be found below.

Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry, 2022–2024

This report examines three years of data from 2022 through 2024, coinciding with an influx of pandemic relief funding and its expiration. The report finds that Georgia’s ECE industry generated $6.52 billion in total economic activity and served approximately 336,000 children in 2024. Parent fees dropped to 44% of industry revenues compared to government funding before rising back to 53% in 2024. Licensed capacity also increased during this time period. The study estimates that parent earnings supported by the availability of early care and education reached approximately $46.2 billion in 2024, underscoring the industry’s critical role in enabling workforce participation.

Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry, 2021

The 2021 study examines the Georgia ECE industry’s economic impact as the state began recovering from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. This report finds that the industry generated $6.04 billion in total economic activity in 2021 and employed over 64,000 individuals, with an additional 16,500 jobs supported in other sectors. Despite pandemic-related enrollment declines, the number of licensed providers remained relatively stable, thanks in part to timely federal relief funds and DECAL’s efforts to quickly distribute resources. The study also estimates that parent earnings supported by the availability of early care and education reached approximately $36.5 billion in 2021.

Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry, 2019–2020

DECAL commissioned researchers from the University of Georgia and Georgia State University to revisit their previous study of the importance of the early care and education industry to Georgia’s economy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial report of the current study attempts to quantify the impact of the pandemic by comparing the industry in 2020 versus 2019 using a variety of metrics. The analyses in this report show that state and federal financial funding, as well as policy decisions by DECAL, were essential to supporting Georgia’s ECE industry. Future reports will examine the economic impact of the industry coming out of the pandemic.

Economic Impact Report 2016

In 2014, DECAL commissioned researchers from the University of Georgia and Georgia State University to conduct a new study of the importance of the early care and education industry to Georgia’s economy. The full report, the executive summary, and a policy forum presentation are posted below.

Economic Impact Report 2008

DECAL first engaged researchers from the University of Georgia and Georgia State University in 2006 to study the importance of the early care and education industry to Georgia’s economy. An economic impact study report, Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in Georgia, was released in August of 2008. The executive summary, full report, policy briefs related to the findings, and a presentation on the study can be found below.