The Gist
ATLANTA — Child care providers and child advocates urged legislators Wednesday to invest more state funds in pre-K and early care programs at the meeting of the House Working Group on Early Childhood Education.
Why It Matters
According to a survey of 684 child care providers in Georgia conducted by Quality Care for Children in September, 44% say they may have to cut teacher wages, 36% anticipate they’ll need to lay off teachers and 25% say they may have to close their centers after they spend down their STABLE funds.
What’s Next
Ife Finch Floyd, director of economic justice for the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, said the Budget and Policy Institute wants legislators to “look at the lottery, and specifically the unrestricted lottery reserve, as a potential source for a down payment to boost the pay of pre-K assistant teachers,” whose base salary is $20,190, according to the Department of Early Care and Learning.
