The early child care and education industry in Georgia generates $4.7 billion in economic activity annually while creating more than 67,000 jobs statewide, according to a recently released study.
State officials plan to hold two public policy forums this week highlighting the results of the study. Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) commissioned the University of Georgia and Georgia State University last year to study the impact of the child care industry on the economy of Georgia.
The advocacy group Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education will join UGA, GSU and DECAL to present results from the study today at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot in Atlanta, and Friday at the University of Georgia in Athens.
All of Georgia’s approximately 6,000 licensed and regulated child care providers were asked to complete a survey in the fall of 2014. UGA developed and distributed the survey and compiled the data. GSU then analyzed the data which formed the basis for the final report.
The study found the early care and education industry serves more than 337,000 children each year, including 143,000 children ages birth through three years, over 118,000 4-year-olds and almost 75,000 school-age children (5 to 13 years). The average weekly parent fees for infants in family child care homes range from $91 in rural areas to $127 in urban areas. Among child care centers, the average weekly fees range from $99 (rural) to $161 (urban).
Gov. Nathan Deal recently announced he wants to spend $50 million to reverse cuts to Georgia's pre-kindergarten program that increased class sizes and cut teacher pay. In 2011, Deal and state lawmakers cut the pre-k program's school year by 20 days to save money. The maximum classroom size was raised from 20 to 22 students. A 180-day school calendar has since been restored, but class sizes remain the same.
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