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Episode 34 - 2022 Children’s Mental Health Week Apr 26, 2022

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For the second year in a row, DECAL will celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week in Georgia May 2 through 6. Similar to Georgia’s Pre-K Week and Inclusive Early Learning Week, this special week in May reminds us that the early years in a child’s life provide a key opportunity to establish safe and secure relationships and support healthy social and emotional development.
Joining us are Laura Lucas, DECAL Director of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health; Dr. Chelsea Morris, Professor at University of West Georgia and co-author of the children's book, "Suri the Spider Selects a Solution," and Lorie Summers, a Kids on the Block Puppeteer for Mental Health America of Georgia who is joining our celebration this year.

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Episode 33 - DECAL Community Partnerships/Southwest Region Apr 19, 2022

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Over the next few months, we’re going to take a tour of DECAL’s six regions by talking to our Community Partnership Coordinators, representatives from our Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, and introducing you to child care providers in each region.
Joining us this week to talk about the Southwest Region are Edward Rowell, Early Education Community Partnership Coordinator, and DJ Fitchlee, Training Director of the Child Care Resource and Referral Agency of Southwest Georgia based at Albany State University. Also joining us is one of our Peer Support Network Ambassadors, Brett Copeland, Assistant Director for Child Development Centers at Central Georgia Technical College in addition to being the Peer Support Network Ambassador for Bibb County; and Gwen Dodson, Data Coordinator of Fort Valley State University Head Start in Fort Valley.

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Episode 32 - Special: Georgia News Network Interview with Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs Apr 18, 2022

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Commissioner Jacobs was the guest on the April 23-24, 2022, episode of Georgia Focus on the Georgia News Network, a program heard on 181 radio affiliates statewide.

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Episode 31 - Learn the Signs. Act Early. Developmental Milestones Revisions Apr 12, 2022

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For over 15 years, the CDC’s Learn the signs. Act Early program has provided free milestone checklists for families, early childhood education professionals, and medical clinicians to use in monitoring the development of young children in their care. In March, the CDC published revisions to the milestones and this week we are bringing our listeners up-to-speed. Joining us to talk about the Learn the Signs, Act Early Program is Bridget Ratajczak, DECAL’s Child and Family Development Supervisor who serves as the CDC’s Act Early Ambassador for Georgia; Rebecca Ellis is our Director of Practice and Support Services who also happens to have two young boys and uses the Milestones; and Dr. Jennifer Zubler is a general pediatrician in Atlanta and consultant for the CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program.

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Episode 30 - Meet Taylor Edwards Apr 05, 2022

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It’s the time of year when high school seniors across the state begin receiving acceptance letters from various colleges…and making plans for starting their higher education in the fall. But what if we told you one Atlanta high school senior has been accepted by 21 colleges with scholarships totaling more than $1 million. And it all started in Georgia's Pre-K Program. Joining us on the podcast is Taylor Edwards, a senior at Midtown High School in Atlanta, along with her mom Robin Lewis.

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Episode 29 - A Day in the Life of Abby Mozo Mar 29, 2022

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Today, it’s another one of our “Day in the Life” features where we learn more about a member of our DECAL team and what they do for Georgia’s youngest learners and their families. Today we are talking to the manager behind the POWER payments, a big initiative both last year and this year here at DECAL. Welcome Abby Mozo, Manager for the POWER payments.

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Episode 28 - GPEE Top Ten Issues to Watch 2022 Mar 22, 2022

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In January, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE) presented its 18th edition of the Top Ten Issues to Watch Report. The report identifies and analyzes key education issues Georgia will be or should be addressing in the coming year. Joining us to talk about the Top Ten Issues to Watch is Dr. Dana Rickman, GPEE President, and Matt Smith, Senior Policy Analyst.

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Episode 27 - Clean Water for Georgia Kids Mar 15, 2022

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DECAL is joining the Georgia Department of Education and the nonprofit research institute RTI International to help schools and child care programs test drinking water for lead, communicate about the testing, and remove lead from their drinking and cooking water. Thanks to a federal grant, this testing program is free of charge and good for the health and safety of children and their families. The project is called Clean Water for Georgia Kids…and here to talk about it is Rhonda Parker, Child Care Services Director of Field Operations, Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, the Clean Water for Georgia Kids Program Director and a Senior Environmental Health Scientist with nonprofit institute RTI International, and Crystal Lee Pow Jackson,a research environmental scientist and an outreach and communication coordinator for the program.

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Episode 26 - Path2College 529 Plan Pre-K to College Sweepstakes Mar 08, 2022

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Today they may be learning their colors, shapes, and letters…but before you know it, those four year olds in Georgia’s Pre-K Program will be all grown up and headed to technical school or college. That’s why each year we join Path2College 529 Plan and the Georgia Student Finance Commission for our Pre-K to College Sweepstakes. This is the fifth year for our sweepstakes and here to talk about Pre-K to College is Mitch Seabaugh, Executive Director of the Path2College 529 Plan, and Meghan McNail, Summer Transition Program and Outreach Manager for Georgia’s Pre-K Program.

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Episode 25 - Meet Megan Fickes, Early Head Start Partnership Director Mar 01, 2022

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On October 18, 2021, DECAL welcomed our new Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership Director. DECAL has been an Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grantee since 2014. Megan Fickes joined us after 14 years of Head Start/Early Head Start experience working with Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Joining us to talk about DECAL’s Early Head Start partnerships is our new director, Megan Fickes, along with Deputy Commissioner of Quality Initiatives and Partnerships Dr. Bentley Ponder.
More information can be found at Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/

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