The Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition seeks to advance the health, social, intellectual, and emotional well-being of infants and toddlers across Georgia.
Our vision is that all of Georgia’s infants and toddlers receive the quality care and access to services they need in order to thrive. To do this, over 130 individuals from over 60 diverse organizations work together to elevate the needs of Georgia’s infants and toddlers as a statewide priority.
Through collaboration and innovation, the Coalition seeks to build public will, support aligned activities, and mobilize funding to advance policies that address the needs of Georgia’s infants and toddlers. Convened by GEEARS, the Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition takes a holistic and comprehensive approach to our work, recognizing the variety of aspects that impact the proper development of infants and toddlers. To view the Coalition’s 2023-24 policy priorities, click here.
Committees
The Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition operates with a committee structure to allow the Coalition to do a deep dive on select high-priority, time-sensitive issues that impact Georgia’s infants and toddlers and their families. Currently, the Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition has two committees: Child Care Affordability and Early Intervention (EI) & Family Well-Being.
The Child Care Affordability Committee seeks to promote access to high-quality, affordable child care for Georgia’s infants and toddlers to help prepare children for future success, while also meeting the needs of working parents. This may include analysis of: child care settings, supply and demand, affordability, the infant-toddler child care workforce, Georgia’s Childcare and Parent Services Program (CAPS), and Quality Rated.
The EI and Family Well-Being Committee seeks to promote policies that further the goal of a statewide system that meets the social-emotional health needs of Georgia’s infants, toddlers, and their families. The system we envision represents the full spectrum of services, from prevention to intervention to treatment, addresses major barriers like provider compensation and workforce shortages, and promotes trauma-informed and culturally competent services.
Our Principles
- We support policies that are good for children, regardless of politics or expediency. We support policies that are evidence-based and data-driven.
- We prioritize policies that reach infants and toddlers furthest from opportunity, acknowledging the importance of developing approaches that are responsive to the needs of different families and communities to reach equitable outcomes for all.
- We recognize that disparities exist based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, gender, disability status, and location. We commit to acknowledging and addressing these disparities and the root causes of these disparities in what we advocate for and how we advocate.
- We seek to leverage the voices and concerns of parents, caregivers, and families in all aspects of our work. We recognize parents and caregivers as children’s first and most important teachers.
- We understand that working together is the key to our success and therefore we are intentional in our commitment to building and maintaining strong relationships with each other grounded in trust and mutual respect.
- We recognize the importance of public-private partnerships and will seek input from consulting members, such as state and federal agencies, when appropriate.
- We recognize the importance of children’s life-long learning opportunities and seek opportunities to partner with allies in the broader 0-5 space, K-12, and higher education.
Membership Organizations
Membership organizations of the Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition include:
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Child Care Resource & Referral of Southeast Georgia at Savannah Technical College |
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Georgia Association for the Education of Young Children (GAEYC) |
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Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Resource of Georgia |
Consulting Members
The Coalition recognizes the critical role and expertise of public institutions in supporting the healthy development of Georgia’s infants and toddlers. Representatives of public institutions, such as state agencies, federal agencies, and universities, participating in the Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition are classified as “consulting members.” Consulting members act as advisors to the Coalition’s work by sharing their content expertise and specialized skills on the programs and services that serve Georgia’s infants and toddlers. Consulting members are excluded from all lobbying and/or advocacy activities.
Representatives of the following institutions serve as consulting members to the Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition:
Leadership Council
The Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition is led by a Leadership Council that helps to guide the Coalition’s work forward. The Leadership Council plays a critical role in advancing the Coalition’s mission by acting as the decision-making body of the Coalition and ensuring trust and accountability from membership organizations.
If you have questions about the Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition, please contact GEEARS’ Senior Policy Manager for Early Childhood Education, Jessica Woltjen, at jwoltjen@geears.org.