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Episode 14 - DECAL Holiday Special Dec 14, 2021

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It’s the holiday season and here at DECAL we’re making a list and checking it twice on gift ideas for your youngest learners, nutritious meals and snacks for the holidays, as well as our favorite traditions and New Year’s resolutions for 2022. Joining us this week to help celebrate the season is Annie Blair, Infant Toddler Specialist; Ann Panzica, Child and Family Development Training Specialist; and LaToya Longshore, Northwest Region Child Care Consultant from CCS to talk about great gift ideas for children birth to five. DECAL Nutrition Health Educator Diana Meyers is back with tips for navigating through those holiday parties and carbolicious casseroles in the kitchen at Grandma’s.

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Episode 13 - Chat with Commissioner Jacobs Dec 07, 2021

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Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs responds to questions from our DECAL team and our followers on social media.

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Episode 12 - COVID Vaccines for Children Nov 29, 2021

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Georgia’s Department of Public Health has announced that there are approximately 987,000 children ages 5-11 in Georgia who are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine...that’s about 4.4 percent of the total population in Georgia. Commissioner, this is something we’ve been looking for and should help in containing the virus among our younger learners and ultimately making schools and child care programs safer. Joining us to talk about COVID-19 vaccines for children in Georgia is Pam Stevens, Deputy Commissioner of Child Care Services here at DECAL, and Dr. Jenna Gettings, an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the CDC currently assigned as a school team lead with the Georgia Department of Public Health.

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Episode 11 - Quality Rated Language and Literacy Endorsements Nov 23, 2021

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In October, Commissioner Jacobs joined Governor Brian Kemp in announcing eight Georgia child care programs that have received our inaugural Quality Rated Language and Literacy Endorsement. We’re very proud of these programs who are demonstrating a commitment to providing high-quality, language-rich environments for Georgia’s youngest learners. Joining us to talk about Quality Rated Language and Literacy Endorsements are Laura Wagner, Community Outreach and Partnerships Director in our Quality Innovations and Partnerships Division; Angela Shelton is a Professional Learning Specialist in Georgia’s Pre-K and Instructional Supports Division; and two of the recipients of the Language and Literacy Endorsements: Beverly Johnson, owner of Discovery Point in Conyers and Jessica Whitehead, Director of Rising Star Learning Center in Mableton.

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Episode 10 - CAPS Expansion Nov 16, 2021

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Ten-thousand children. That’s how much DECAL is expanding our Childcare and Parent Services or CAPS Program, as of November 1. Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs and Governor Brian Kemp made this announcement last month to provide additional support to Georgia’s families and child care providers and to ensure more children have access to quality early educational opportunities. Joining us to talk about expanding CAPS by 10,000 children is Elisabetta Kasfir, Deputy Commissioner for the CAPS Program in Georgia, and Miranda Gore, a mom with five children who are a part of the CAPS Program.

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Episode 9 - Clark's Christmas Kids 2021 Nov 15, 2021

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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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Episode 8 - Coy Bowles and "Can You Touch a Color?" Nov 09, 2021

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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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Episode 7 - Meet Georgia's Pre-K Teachers of the Year 2021-2022 Nov 02, 2021

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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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Episode 6 - Best Places to Eat in Georgia Oct 26, 2021

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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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Episode 5 - National Farm to School and Early Education Month + STABLE 4WARD Oct 17, 2021

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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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