DECAL announces Trauma Responsive Care Grants for Georgia communities

ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) announces another Trauma Responsive Care Grant funding cycle for community-based organizations across Georgia.

The grants of $10,000 each will enable local organizations to pilot or expand programs that increase community understanding of how early childhood trauma can impact future learning and development of children. The grants will also assist communities in building effective networks of leaders focused on identifying and understanding the needs of children in their communities who may have had adverse childhood experiences.

Selected grantees will be expected to develop a cross-sector collaborative of local leaders, including six to ten community stakeholders from various organizations such as the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), local law enforcement, Georgia Family Connection Collaboratives, Georgia’s Pre-K programs, Head Start programs, local child care programs, local school systems, local Community Service Boards (CSBs), and Resilient Georgia Regional Grantee Coalitions. Each collaborative will participate in training to support a collective understanding of how early childhood trauma can impact children’s future learning and development. Additionally, grantee organizations and their partners will be expected to develop a strategic plan to respond to the needs of children experiencing trauma for the birth to 5 population. Grantees also will be expected to disseminate local resources and materials related to trauma-focused strategies and interventions to families, childcare providers, schools, and other service providers.

This is the second year that DECAL has made these opportunities available to communities across Georgia. Funding for the grants was made possible by the $11.2 million Preschool Development Renewal Grant that Georgia received in January 2020 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education.

“We look forward to utilizing this federal funding to supplement our ongoing efforts to increase access for Georgia’s youngest learners and their caregivers to these important resources,” said DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs. “Through these grants, we will support communities in developing holistic strategies to improve child well-being and mental health.”

The grant term for the upcoming funding cycle runs from Aug. 15, 2022 until Aug. 14, 2023.

The 2022 Trauma Responsive Care Grant application is posted on the DECAL website at https://decal.smapply.us/prog/trauma-responsive_care_grants/. Questions related to the application should be directed to communityimpactgrants@decal.ga.gov. Applications must be submitted by June 15, 2022.