Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning [2012]

A Word from Governor Nathan Deal

Bright from the Start:
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

"Early learning helps us get the most out of investments in education, health, public safety and economic development by fostering better outcomes for our students and for our state as a whole. Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is working today to ensure that our youngest Georgians have access to quality care and education, which in turn will help us create a future Georgia with more diplomas and good jobs, badges of pride and achievement that every Georgian deserves."

Contact Us
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SE Suite 754, East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-5957 888-442-7735 www.decal.ga.gov
www.twitter.com/gadeptearlycare www.facebook.com/brightfromthestart

Photo Courtesy AJC
Committed to nurturing Georgia's youngest children, keeping them safe and healthy, and enriching their lives

Investing in the Future
In 2004 Georgia's leaders made a significant investment in the state's most valuable commodity its children. That year the Georgia General Assembly created Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) by merging several state entities that served young children and their families: the Office of School Readiness; units from the Department of Education and Department of Human Resources; and the Georgia Child Care Council. The new department was one of the first in the nation dedicated solely to meeting the early childhood education and child care needs of the state's youngest citizens. Today DECAL leads the state's efforts to serve children and families by administering services in four main areas:
DECAL's goal is to lay a solid foundation on which the academic success of Georgia's future leaders and workforce can be built. Investing in Georgia's children and families will pay dividends for decades to come... through the state's long-term economic growth and by producing citizens equipped to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.

Did You Know?
DECAL collaborates with companies, non-profits, advocacy groups, professional organizations and others to blend federal, state and private dollars to enhance early child care and education.
In 2011, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) identified Georgia as one of five states attaining all 10 quality standard benchmarks for Pre-K.
A 13-member advisory board supports the vision and mission of DECAL.
The DECAL website, www.decal.ga.gov, can help you find child care programs, Georgia's Pre-K classes, and nutrition sites in your community.

Message from Commissioner Bobby Cagle

Dear Friend:
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) leads the nation as one of only three departments of its kind focused on early care and education. We believe investing in our youngest learners is critical to the long-term economic growth and potential of Georgia.
It has been an honor to lead this department since being appointed by Governor Nathan Deal in January 2011.

As Commissioner, I oversee an annual budget of over $700 million and work alongside more than 200 professionals committed to nurturing Georgia's youngest learners, to keeping them safe and healthy, and to enriching their lives. Our programs focus on licensing, nutrition, quality child care and Georgia's Pre-K Program.
More importantly, I have the privilege of working with some of the best children, parents, teachers and providers on the planet. If you are a parent of a child birth to five years old, you are on the "front lines" of your child's future success. We want to empower you with relevant and accurate information so you can make informed child care and early education decisions for your family.
Many throughout our state recognize the long-term impact early childhood education has on our students.

We are proud to partner with companies, nonprofits, advocacy groups and professional organizations that believe in our mission, and we welcome others to join us.
At DECAL, our goal is to remain on the cutting edge of early education, constantly improving our existing services. If you have ideas of ways we can better serve you, contact me at 404.656.5957 or bobby. cagle@decal.ga.gov. You can also follow me on Twitter at @DECALCommish.
Together we can impact the future of our children...and our state.
Sincerely,
Bobby D. Cagle, MSW Commissioner