Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is accepting applications for new and returning providers of Georgia’s Pre-K Program for the 2019-2020 school year. Providers of currently funded classes can request expansion classes via DECAL’s PANDA web site while new providers can receive information about the application review, award process, and grant funding at www.decal.ga.gov. The deadline for all applications is Friday, Jan. 25, at 5 p.m. EDT.
Georgia’s Pre-K Program is an educational program funded by the Georgia Lottery. To attend Georgia’s Pre-K in the 2019-2020 school year, a child must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2019. Georgia’s Pre-K Program normally operates on the regular school system calendar for the length of a typical school day.
This year, approximately 81,000 4-year-olds are being served in 3,855 Georgia’s Pre-K classes at 1,873 locations.
The purpose of the program is to prepare children for success in kindergarten and later school years.
Programs are offered in a variety of settings: public schools; for profit and nonprofit child care learning centers; military bases, and faith-based organizations. www.decal.ga.gov
“Since its beginning 26 years ago, Georgia’s Pre-K Program has grown and improved to meet the ever-changing needs of Georgia’s children and families,” said DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs. “Recent research supports that, on average, children’s skills in language/literacy, math, self-knowledge, and general knowledge gained during their Pre-K year were sustained through Kindergarten. These findings confirm that Pre-K provides the strong foundation needed for future learning.”
For more information about becoming a provider in Georgia’s Pre-K Program, call 404-656-5957 or1-888-4GA-PREK and ask for the Pre-K Consultant of the Day.