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For 31 years, WSB Radio’s Clark Howard and the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services has made sure that every child in Georgia’s foster care system has at least one gift on Christmas day. Traditionally, shoppers attend Clark’s live events in Walmart locations in the metro Atlanta area to purchase gifts from a child’s wish list.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain challenges, this year’s campaign is all virtual and DECAL is happy to be a part of it.  Joining us to talk about this year’s Clark’s Christmas Kids is Allison Setterlind, Director of our Head Start Collaboration Office at DECAL, who is coordinating our participation, and WSB Consumer Expert Clark Howard.  

Donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to:

DFCS Secret Santa
Division of Family and Children Services
2 Peachtree Street, NW Suite 19-432
Atlanta, GA 30303

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During our recent Georgia Pre-K Week, students received a nice surprise in the mail…their own copies of a new book by children’s author and Zac Brown Band lead guitarist Coy Bowles.  The book is called “Can You Touch a Color,” and it’s a follow up to Coy’s book “Behind the Little Red Door."  Joining us this week to talk about “Can You Touch a Color” is the author and musician Coy Bowles.  

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During our annual Georgia Pre-K Week, held October 4-8, DECAL officially named Georgia’s Pre-K Teachers of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year. The private center winner is LaNita Carey from Jackson Creek Academy in Lilburn, and the public school winner is Stephanie Curington from Kings Chapel Elementary School in Perry.  Joining us to talk about this experience are our new Georgia Pre-K Teachers of the Year LaNita and Stephanie, along with Meghan McNail, Summer Transition Program and Outreach Coordinator who oversees the Teachers of the Year every year.  

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With 700 employees all across Georgia, traveling between cities to visit child care programs and meet with community partners and advocates, the DECAL team has stockpiled some great information about the Best Places to Eat in Georgia.  Joining us to talk about this tasteful topic is Carrie Ashbee, Executive Director of the Georgia Foundation for Early Learning; Billie Joe Sutton is a Georgia’s Pre-K Program Specialist serving Southwest Georgia; and Ira Sudman is Chief Legal Officer here at DECAL.  Hope you're hungry!   

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“Our food, our future.”  October is National Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month with thousands of schools, early care and education sites, farms, communities, and organizations across the country celebrating food education, school gardens and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients. Joining us to talk about National Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month is Diana Myers, Nutrition Health Educator here at DECAL, and Kimberly Della Donna, Farm to School Director with Georgia Organics.  

Plus, a DECAL Download EXTRA, featuring Woody Dover, DECAL Enterprise Project Management Director, explaining the new STABLE 4WARD funding for licensed Georgia child care programs from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress.

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The Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, that most people know as GEEARS, celebrates ten years of community impact this year, although due to COVID the milestone was celebrated virtually.  Joining us to talk about Ten Years of GEEARS and its relationship with DECAL is Stephanie Blank, GEEARS founder and chair of the Board of Directors, and Mindy Binderman, Executive Director. 

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DECAL and the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning have announced the recipients of the 2021-2022 DECAL Scholars of the Year.  This year’s program celebrates the 20th Anniversary of DECAL Scholars which supports early care and educational professionals in Georgia in gaining more education and skills and earning financial awards.  Joining us to talk about this very special recognition are our DECAL Scholars of the Year…the four-year college/university winner is Edelina Lane of Ellenwood, a Family Child Care Provider who is a student at Point University; Technical College winner is Quinecia Styles Smith of Newnan, a lead teacher at Parker Chase Preschool North in Peachtree City and student at West Georgia Technical College; Carla Rogg is President of CARE Solutions that manages DECAL Scholars; and Carrie Ashbee, executive director of the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning.  

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WGAU Radio's Tim Bryant interviews Susan Adams, Deputy Commissioner for Georgia's Pre-K Program and Instructional Supports, about Georgia Pre-K Week and other topics.

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There’s a new face in DECAL’s Pre-K and Instructional Supports Division overseeing our Infant and Toddler, Inclusion and Behavior Supports, and Child and Family Development teams.  Director of Practice and Support Services Rebecca Ellis joins DECAL from the Technical College System of Georgia where she served as Director of Accountability in the Office of Adult Education.  She’s also been Director of Innovation for the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and has a background in social work with a Masters of Social Work from the University of Alabama and after grad school worked as a foster care worker and child protective services in Birmingham.  

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DECAL has joined the Georgia Department of Public Health in updating COVID-19 Guidance specifically for Georgia child care facilities.  The guidance, first released in August 2020, covers everything from COVID-19 prevention strategies, promoting vaccinations, and consistent and correct use of masks.  Joining us to talk about COVID-19 guidance for child care in Georgia is Pam Stevens, Deputy Commissioner of Child Care Services, and Dr. Jenna Gettings is an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta currently assigned as a school team lead with the Georgia Department of Public Health.  

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