Hundreds of Georgia daycares kept quality ratings after serious safety violations

Georgia created its daycare quality rating system to encourage daycares to raise standards and to help parents find the best care for their children. But an AJC investigation found the system is flawed — with hundreds of daycares being cited for seriously injuring or putting children at risk. Yet, state regulators called them quality places. Georgia has a three-star quality rating program for daycares. One star's good, two stars are better, and three stars are reserved for the best daycares. After analyzing a decade of safety data and speaking to parents, state leaders and other officials, we found at least 350 of these daycares were allowed to keep or increase their star rating after serious safety lapses — including a death. A daycare star rating can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money, even if that place has a history of serious safety violations. Jacobs told the AJC earlier this month that sweeping changes are planned for the Quality Rated program in 2027. The department intends to strip ratings from daycares that violate the rules or have a “major incident involving harm to a child,” Jacobs said. To read the full investigation, go to AJC.com. Credits: Video by Mariana Castro, Ace McColl; Sources: AJC | Getty Images | David Scott | Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning