Recent GCCA Successes

2012

Reviewed DECAL’s proposed 2012 legislative strategy to impose fingerprint background checks for all child care employees and successfully advocated for delay until additional Live-SCAN devices were accessible and additional logistical issues were solved.

Advocated for Pre K provider operating expense restoration in FY13 budget and obtained support from legislature of additional $850K for providers.

Defeated HB 152 which would have given faith based programs broader exemptions to licensing with no national oversight.

Worked in partnership with DECAL to create a first of a kind child care licensing survey to provide customer service feedback on licensing consultants and identify areas of training opportunity for providers and BFTS.

Worked with DECAL to add language to HB 397 which was passed to exempt personal information on the Professional Development Registry such as personal emails and cell phone numbers from disclosure on Open Record’s Requests.

2011

Received commitment from Commissioner Cagle and DECAL board to revise summer camp exemptions to impose health and safety requirements for programs.

Worked on DECAL Exemption Task Force and helped to influence and rewrite after school exemption which prohibits karate studios, gymnastics and other type programs from operating after school programs.

Successfully lobbied against HB 385 which would have imposed a sales tax on child care services beginning in 2013.

Met with Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler to modify existing regulations to address the issue of Pre K teachers claiming unemployment benefits during holiday and summer breaks. Rule change ( 300-2 -9-.07) eff. 2/12

Successfully advocated for 5,100 CAPS slots to be restored in the current DHS 2012-2013 budget.

Initiated meeting with DECAL and other stakeholders to discuss exempt summer camp programs issues and requested that DECAL add an exempt programs “locator” to DECAL’s website.

Influenced DECAL to drop CRCT scores from criteria used to determine target counties for Pre K classroom closings as it would have penalized high performing Pre K sites.

Influenced DECAL to accept more flexible provider Pre K calendars for 160 days of instruction.

Met with Commissioner Cagle and Kay Hellwig of Child Care Licensing to obtain commitment to change culture and process change of consultants  to a more collaborative approach.

Defeated SB 152 which would have granted broader exemptions to licensing for faith based programs with no national oversight.

Established regular meetings with Commissioner Cagle and his team to allow for open flow of communication.

GCCA met weekly with the Governor’s office and staff to provide input on how to apply the Pre K cuts with the least amount of disruption to providers.

Recognition by DECAL that they had not been following the Administrative Procedures Act under Commissioner Robinson and a commitment from DECAL that they will now follow the appropriate procedures including giving proper notice for meeting and rule changes and allowing providers a voice in that process.

Obtained Commissioner Cagle’s commitment to put to halt any burdensome rule changes for four months until we have had a chance to work with him.

2010

Secured significant TV and print media coverage on outdated exemptions to licensing which forced DECAL to begin the process of revising and updating afterschool licensing exemptions.

Obtained commitment from DECAL Commissioner Holly Robinson not to revise group size and ratio regulations in the current economic environment.

GCCA’S Growth in the Community Program Involvement

• Voices for Children, Birth to Five Coalition, Leadership Team, Co-Chair of Early Education
• GEEARS, Strategic Partner
• Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Policy Committee
• DECAL Exemption Workgroup
• DECAL QRIS Test Pilot
• Early Challenge Fund Grant Team
• United Way Pre K Workgroup
• DECAL Pre K Advisory Group, Child Care Licensing Advisory Group, Quality Improvement Advisory Group, Professional Development Advisory Group and Nutrition Advisory Group
• Children’s Healthcare partner on childhood obesity
• Early Care and Education Consortium partner state