“For Georgia to be the best state to do business in, it also needs to be a place where working families can thrive. Our workforce is strongest when parents have the freedom to pursue their careers without being forced to choose between a paycheck and affordable, high-quality child care. Currently, too many Georgia families are stretched thin by child care costs. For some households, the cost is so high that it makes more financial sense for one parent to leave the workforce altogether. That hurts families, employers, and our state’s economy. It also affects our children. High-quality child care and early learning programs provide more than a safe place for children while their parents work. They build the early literacy, social, and developmental skills that help children enter kindergarten ready to learn and establish a foundation for future success.

Georgia should expand access to affordable child care and high-quality early education, including greater opportunities for three- and four-year-olds. We should also strengthen the child care workforce so providers can attract and retain talented educators while keeping care affordable for families. Supporting young children and working parents is not separate from economic development, it is economic development. If Georgia wants to build the strongest workforce in the country, we must invest in families from the very beginning and make this a state where every child has the opportunity to thrive.”