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Happy New Year!  It is officially 2019, and we thought we would look back on 2018 today…with a look ahead to 2019 as well.  From CAPS and Child Care Services...to Georgia's Pre-K Program and Quality Rated...plus Nutrition, Inclusion, the 2019 Legislative Session, and more!  

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In January, 2012, Georgia launched a voluntary system to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early care and education programs.  Within a year, Quality Rated had over 1,100 early learning programs participating and that number has continued to grow. Let's get an update from Deputy Commissioner for System Reform Kristin Bernhard and and Quality Rated Policy and Partnership Director Laura Wagner.

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There was a time when to interact with a government agency you had to travel to a physical location.  The Internet has made that a thing of the past and now DECAL's virtual front door can be found on your laptop or even smartphone at www.decal.ga.gov.  For parents, providers, and the general public, there are so many ways to reach DECAL without leaving your home or office.  Learn more in this conversation with Chief Information Officer Craig Detweiler.   

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In October, Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida panhandle and then slammed into parts of Southwest and Central Georgia.  The hurricane had a major impact on Georgia’s cotton, pecan, and timber crops and caused structural damage to homes and businesses, including child care programs across some 20 counties.  We were able to help children and families through DECAL Nutrition Services and the Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning.

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While many of our DECAL team members interact with providers and parents face-to-face in the field, we take a lot of phone calls every day across all of our divisions and always strive to provide excellent customer service.  Today we are talking with two members of our team known for providing excellent customer service: Renee Lind is Scholarship Administration Manager for Special Teams in the CAPS Program and Abby Mozo is a User Support Representative with the Georgia Professional Development System for Early Childhood Educators.  

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DECAL partners with Quality Rated Child Care Providers around the state to offer Quality Rated Subsidy Grants, which pay higher reimbursement to two and three-star child care programs and benefit qualified families by charging zero family fees for the child who is participating.  Today we will learn more about Quality Rated Subsidy Grants from Taijha Harden, Subsidy Manager, and Laura Wagner, Quality Rated Policy and Partnership Director.

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Thanksgiving Week seems like a good time to discuss food...and we mean really discuss food, as in the Best Places to Eat in Georgia.  As a state agency, our employees travel A LOT, especially our consultants working with providers and parents through CAPS, Child Care Services, Georgia’s Pre-K Program, Quality Rated, Nutrition and so much more!  For this episode, we’re calling upon some bonafide culinary experts, Deputy Commissioner for System Reform Kristin Bernhard and Chief Legal Officer Ira Sudman.  Hope you're hungry!

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“Person First Language” is a different way of thinking about the words we use when we’re talking to or about people with disabilities.  In this episode we learn more about this topic from Brandy Locchetta, Inclusion Manager here at DECAL. We'll even take a quiz to see how much we know...and how much we have to learn! 

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In January, 2014, DECAL began implementing a state law requiring all employees in Georgia's child care programs to undergo a national criminal background check based on fingerprints.  For the next two years, DECAL is paying the cost of the initial national fingerprint scan for eligible early care and education workers.  Learn more about this law from DECAL Chief Legal Officer Ira Sudman and Legal Services Supervisor Christie Bearden.

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Scheduler, assistant, gatekeeper.  Maybe the way to really get to know Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs is to get to know her Executive Assistant and Board Liaison Quandra Collins.  Hear what happens behind the scenes at DECAL and then take a quiz on how well Quandra really knows the Commissioner.

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