Mission Statement
GCCA is dedicated to enhancing and promoting the quality of licensed, private childcare centers in Georgia by impacting legislation, providing resources, education the public and supporting our members through training programs, advocacy/awareness and networking opportunities.
GCCA Platform
The Georgia Child Care Association believes in three balanced ideals of child care:
1. Quality
2. Affordability
3. Accessibility
There is no doubt quality child care is critical, but solely focusing on quality can and will negatively impact affordability and accessibility.
The Georgia Child Care Association has a goal of maintaining and increasing the number of children in licensed child care centers in Georgia. Why? Children are safer in licensed care as opposed to unlicensed care, where they are 1.7 times more likely to die or be seriously injured.
Studies show that burdensome regulations placed on licensed child care centers increase costs, which decreases parent affordability and accessibility and drives more children into unsafe, unlicensed care arrangements.
The GCCA would like to see an increase in the sustainability of the Georgia Pre K program through increased funding and reimbursement rates.
Our 3 Pronged Approach to Improving Quality of Georgia's Child Care
Prong 1
The current minimum licensing standards in Georgia need to be strictly enforced. Low quality centers need to be fined or shut down. Centers that fail to meet the minimum licensing standards should not be eligible to receive state child care subsidies. This would incent them to comply with minimum licensing standards.
Prong 2
The GCCA believes that the overall quality of care in Georgia can be improved by incenting centers to improve and recognizing centers that voluntarily exceed minimum standards
Prong 3
As recommended by NAEYC, the Georgia Child Care Association believes that professional development is critical to improving the quality of early childhood care. GCCA supports greater access to professional development courses for Georgia’s early childhood educators.
1.Regulating Child Care: The Effects of State Regulations on child care demand and its cost, Hotz and Kilbourn Study
1. Accidents will Happen? Unintentional Injury, Maternal Employment and Child Care Policy, published by National Bureau of Economic Research.