DECAL to Offer Financial Assistance to School Age Students Whose Schools Have Opted for Virtual Learning
Funding Helps Working Families Find Secure and Safe Option for Their Children
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) will receive over $17 million from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funding, set aside by the CARES Act, to implement the new Supporting Onsite Learning for Virtual Education (SOLVE) Program to provide additional childcare funding options for students ages 5-12 whose school systems have opted for virtual-only learning models during the pandemic.
“Georgia’s SOLVE Program provides financial assistance for families with students enrolled in a Georgia public school system that is offering a virtual-only learning model,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “Scholarships are used to support working families for children ages 5-12 by paying for care, supervision, and support during the school day while students are engaged in virtual learning. These are challenging times for our state, but we will continue to work around the clock to support our students and teachers, improve outcomes, and get people back to work.”
DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs said her agency will administer the SOLVE Program through the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) Program which helps families with low income cover the cost of child care. Families can search for providers that offer full-time care for school age children now at qualityrated.org and apply through https://gateway.ga.gov/ starting September 1.
“If families are eligible, they will receive a scholarship to help pay for on-site support and supervision of their children engaged in virtual instruction during the school day while parents work,” said Commissioner Jacobs. “This is a win-win for school age children as well as Georgia’s licensed child care providers who have been largely devastated by this pandemic but have continued to step up for families in their time of need.”
DECAL has launched a SOLVE Program page on its website at decal.ga.gov/CAPS/Solve.aspx. Questions can also be directed to solve@decal.ga.gov.
Contact:
Reg Griffin
DECAL Communications Director
404-656-0239
reg.griffin@decal.ga.gov
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families. It administers the nationally recognized Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses child care centers and home-based child care, administers Georgia’s Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia’s community powered child care rating system. The department also houses the Head Start State Collaboration Office, distributes federal funding to enhance the quality and availability of child care, and works collaboratively with Georgia child care resource and referral agencies and organizations throughout the state to enhance early care and education.