Stay up-to-date on the latest news about early childhood from GEEARS, our early childhood partners across the nation, and from media outlets.
By: GEEARS In the final days of 2022, Congress approved a $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2023. It was signed into law on December 29th. Within this legislation are many exciting—even historic—wins for working families with young children. “The bipartisan approval of this new funding shows that our representatives at the federal […]
By: GEEARS for Saporta Report One Saturday morning in November, GEEARS’ Pre-K Recruitment Specialist Dawan Barfield stood before a meeting room at the Dean Rusk YMCA Head Start Academy. With his characteristic warmth and ease, he welcomed tables full of volunteers, who smiled back at him over boxed breakfasts. “Let’s start with an icebreaker,” Dawan […]
By: GEEARS for Saporta Report As the state agency responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is constantly looking for ways to improve the experiences of our state’s youngest students. In the late 2000s, a series of independent studies […]
By: GEEARS for Saporta Report These days, the topic of mental health seems to be everywhere. In the wake of the pandemic, medical practitioners, educators, and government leaders are all freshly aware of mental health challenges and the imperative that we incorporate their treatment into everyday healthcare. Yet, the public still has some catching up to do […]
By GEEARS for Saporta Report At the GEEARS Candidate Summit on Supporting Children and Families on October 3rd, several of Georgia’s candidates for statewide office spoke directly to voters, particularly those of us who vote with a keen eye on the issues that affect Georgians ages five and under. The two-hour program at Georgia Public Broadcasting was […]
By: GEEARS for Saporta Report We came, we read, and we gave away a lot of books at a lot of enriching programs. The Mayor’s Summer Reading Club’s tenth season ended last month. Let us count the ways the bookish summer thrilled us: We returned to many in-person events after two virtual summers. And we returned in force, with […]
All of us at GEEARS are grieving the passing of former First Lady Sandra Dunagan Deal. We worked with Mrs. Deal on several early childhood initiatives, both during her time as First Lady and after. The fact is, Mrs. Deal didn’t parachute into this issue. She always knew that early education was a critical foundation for […]
By Mindy Binderman When the reconciliation package made its way through the House in November, it contained a $400 billion investment in early childhood education. We felt so hopeful at that time. But the reconciliation package (now known as the Inflation Reduction Act or IRA) passed the Senate on Sunday with these critical funds cut […]
By GEEARS & United Way of Greater Atlanta for Saporta Report Last month, quarterback Matt Ryan, a virtual Mayor Andre Dickens, and a host of community members and children cut the ribbon on a new learning space at the Simpson Street Church of Christ. The Simpson Street Learning Space is a free community play and learn […]
By: GEEARS for Saporta Report Last week, parents and caregivers celebrated as the COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for children under age five. This was a huge and happy step for millions of families. It’s been a long, long wait for vaccine access for Georgia’s youngest children, during which working caregivers had to continue contending with […]