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Episode 46 - Family Peer Ambassadors Sep 10, 2024

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Since Fall 2019, DECAL has had a group of volunteers working in their communities to share information with families about the resources available in our state. Our DECAL Family Peer Ambassadors are fathers, mothers, grandparents, foster parents, and other kinship caregivers of young children. They serve as leaders in their community, providing families of young children with information about child development and strategies they can use to support their children’s school readiness along with different resources available to families of young children. This month (September 2024) the program is celebrating it’s Fifth Birthday! Joining us today are Jenny Semendy, DECAL’s Child and Family Development Training Specialist, and one of our Family Peer Ambassadors: Ebony Tolbert from Atlanta.

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Episode 45 - Car Seat Safety Awareness Week Sep 03, 2024

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The third week in September is Care Seat Safety Awareness Week which focuses on the proper use of car safety seats for children. The national campaign urges parents and caregivers to protect their children making sure they secure them in the correct car seat for their age, height, and weight. Joining us to talk about Car Seat Safety is Traci Reese, Program Manager with the Child Occupant Safety Project at the Georgia Department of Public Health and Jennifer Waters, our CCS Technical Assistance Unit Manager.

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Episode 44 - LITTLE Grants Aug 27, 2024

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Licensed Family Child Care Learning Homes and Child Care Learning Centers in Georgia who are two or three-star Quality Rated are eligible for grants aimed at fostering early language and literacy skills of infants and toddlers. The LITTLE grants, standing for Lifting Infants and Toddlers Through Language-Rich Enviroments, equips providers with increased knowledge and skills in building responsive relationships, and developing and maintaining a social, emotional, and intellectual climate that supports child-initiated and child-pursued learning. Joining us to talk about LITTLE grants, as well as other services available through our Infant Toddler Specialists, is Thea Stevens, Infant Toddler Program Manager; Latasha Bailey, an Infant Toddler Specialist for the Central East Region, and Cindy Lancaster with Lemon Tree Academy-Monroe who is a previous LITTLE grantee.

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Episode 43 - CDC's "Let's Rise" (Routine Immunizations on Schedule for Everyone) Aug 20, 2024

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New data from the CDC here in Atlanta show that vaccinations among kindergarteners has declined to its lowest level in decades and an estimated 750,000 young learners entered kindergarten during the COVID-19 pandemic who were not up to date on their school vaccinations. Joining us this week to talk about immunizations is Kathleen Holmes, Public Health Analyst with the CDC, and Bridget Ratajczak, DECAL Child and Family Development Supervisor, and the CDC’s Act Early Ambassador to Georgia.

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Episode 42 - Georgia's 2Gen Academy Aug 13, 2024

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The second class of a two-generation academy created by Commissioner Jacobs has now graduated. The Georgia 2Gen Academy is presented each year by the Georgia Children’s Cabinet and facilitated by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Twenty-six representatives from state agencies, including DECAL and advocacy groups for children and youth, participated. Joining us to talk about Georgia’s 2Gen Academy are DECAL participants Nutrition & Physical Activity Supervisor Diana Myers, Head Start Collaboration Office Director Allison Setterlind, and CAPS Family Support Director Amanda Vanmeter. Also Joy Hawkins, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and co-chair with Commissioner Jacobs on the Georgia Children’s Cabinet.

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Episode 41 - Preparing for Pre-K Aug 06, 2024

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As the new school year approaches, thousands of children across Georgia are getting ready to take their first steps into the world of structured learning in Georgia’s nationally recognized Pre-K Program. It’s an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming for both parents and children. Joining us to talk about preparing for Georgia's Pre-K Program are two Georgia’s Pre-K Program Specialists Margie Cook and Anne Honerbaum.

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Episode 40 - State School Superintendent Richard Woods Jul 30, 2024

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For nearly a decade, Richard Woods has served as State School Superintendent here in Georgia. He has over 30 years of experience in public education, from Pre-K through 12th-grade. He was a high school teacher for 14 years, serving as department chair and teacher mentor….he has also served in administrative roles like principal, assistant principal, Pre-K director, and alternative school director.

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Episode 39 - We Care Child Care Sweepstakes & Careers at DECAL Jul 23, 2024

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You’re getting two topics for the price of one on this week's podcast. First, it’s never too soon to start saving for your child’s college education. DECAL and Path2College 529 Plan are making that easier with the We Care Child Care Sweepstakes. And then, careers at DECAL…this year we celebrate 20 years as one of the few state agencies in the nation dedicated entirely to early childhood education and care. Over those 20 years we have grown to a staff of more than 700 employees. And if you would like to have an impact of the development and future success of young children and their families….this might be a great career move for you. Joining us first via Zoom is Mitch Seabaugh, Executive Director of the Path2College 529 Plan back to talk with us about the We Care Childcare Sweepstakes which is going on now through July 31. Then Careers at DECAL with Rian Ringsrud, Deputy Commissioner of Finance and Administration; Sheryl Young-Wilhite, Director of Human Resources, and Mark Dock, Senior Manager of Human Resources.

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Episode 38 - New State Laws and their impact on DECAL Jul 16, 2024

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Last month, we looked at the impact on DECAL of the $36-million Fiscal Year 2025 budget signed by Governor Kemp in May. There several bills passed by the Georgia General Assembly and signed by the Governor that took effect July 1 and have an impact on DECAL. Joining us to talk about these new laws taking effect is Rian Ringsrud, Deputy Commissioner of Finance and Administration, and Liz Young, Director of Governor Relations and Special Projects.

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Episode 37 - Open Records Jul 09, 2024

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Open Records play a crucial role in promoting an open government by providing citizens with the tools to engage with and understand the workings of their government. The concept of Open Records in grounded in the principles of transparency and accountability, ensuring that the public can obtain information about government operations, decisions, and expenditures. Joining us to talk more about Open Records is Maria Reznik, Open Records Compliance Analyst, and Ira Sudman, our General Counsel.

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