October 5th
Starts October 13th
November 3rd
Families with young children and the people who care for them often feel overlooked by policymakers. Vote early to make their voices heard. Check My Voter Page for locations: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/ #gapol
Voting by absentee ballot in the runoff election? Request and return your ballot ASAP to make sure your vote gets counted: https://securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov/s/ #gapol
Elected officials at all levels of government—federal, state, and local—have the power to positively impact early childhood outcomes. Learn more by checking out GEEARS' Voter Guide:: www.geears.org/vote #gapol
Many families are one financial crisis away from catastrophe. Policymakers can play a critical role in protecting the economic security of Georgia families with young children. Learn more at www.geears.org/vote #gapol
There are 635,299 children under the age of 5 in Georgia. Let’s make their potential our priority. Check your registration and more at https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/
Your vote on November 3rd can help ensure that all of Georgia's children are reading proficiently by the end of third grade: www.geears.org/vote #gapol #earlyed
Georgia has some of the highest rates of infant & maternal mortality in the country, particularly for black mothers & babies. Ask candidates running for office how they plan to support healthy parents, healthy pregnancies, & healthy babies. Learn more: www.geears.org/vote
Child care is expensive, representing up to 40% of a low-income family’s budget. Use your vote to help make #earlyed more affordable and accessible. Learn more at www.geears.org/vote #gapol
Use your vote to help make our state a place where all families, children, and people who care for them can thrive. Learn about the issues and key deadlines at www.geears.org/vote #gapol #earlyed
Your voice is their future. Early voting starts October 13th! Check My Voter Page for locations, a sample ballot, and more.
Voting by absentee ballot in the runoff election? Request and return your ballot ASAP to make sure your vote gets counted.
Elected officials at all levels of government—federal, state, and local—have the power to positively impact early childhood outcomes. Learn more about key offices and who is running in 2024 by checking out GEEARS' Voter Guide.
Use your vote to help make our state a place where all families, children, and people who care for them can thrive. Learn more about the issues and key deadlines with GEEARS' 2024 Georgia Voter Guide on Early Childhood.
Families with young children and the people who care for them often feel overlooked by policymakers. Vote early to make their voices heard. Check My Voter Page for locations, a sample ballot, and more.
Supporting the physical and mental health of young children and their caregivers provides the foundation for lifelong physical, cognitive, and social-emotional well-being. Early voting starts October 15th!
Some counties offer additional early voting days. Check with your county elections office for times and locations.
Your vote shapes their future. Early voting starts October 15th. Some counties offer additional early voting days. Check with your county elections office for times and locations.
Georgia's youngest children are counting on you to help shape our future by voting in the runoff election. Learn about the key issues, dates, and more by visiting GEEARS' voter guide.
The child care workforce is facing severe staffing shortages due to very low wages and a lack of support. Keep this essential workforce in mind as you cast your ballot in the runoff election.
Learn about the key issues, dates, and more by visiting GEEARS' voter guide.
Some efforts to streamline requirements and reduce unnecessary administrative burden could benefit Head Start programs. But streamlining should make it easier for programs to serve families—not weaken the quality and comprehensive services families depend on.
Make your voice heard and help #ProtectHeadStart by using our social media toolkit below!
More than 20,000 Georgia children are served by Head Start and Early Head Start.
A new federal proposal would make sweeping changes to the standards that shape the quality and comprehensive services they receive.
#ProtectHeadStart
Take Action Now: https://geears.org/protectheadstart/
Head Start helps parents work, go to school, and build economic stability.
But a new federal proposal could allow programs to operate for as little as 3 hours a day—hours that simply don’t work for many working families. #ProtectHeadStart
Take Action: https://geears.org/protectheadstart/
Head Start’s comprehensive approach is part of what makes it work. A new federal proposal would eliminate or weaken standards for health, family, early intervention, and other supports.
Streamlining shouldn’t mean losing what works. #ProtectHeadStart https://geears.org/protectheadstart/
Head Start has long recognized that strong partnerships with families extend beyond the classroom.
A new federal proposal would eliminate longstanding requirements for teacher home visits and weaken standards for Early Head Start’s home-based services. #ProtectHeadStart
In rural Georgia, Head Start is a critical part of the child care infrastructure families and communities rely on.
A new federal proposal puts access to Head Start’s comprehensive health and family supports at risk. #ProtectHeadStart
Take Action Now: https://geears.org/protectheadstart/
A new federal proposal would eliminate several Head Start requirements designed to support children with disabilities—from accommodations to coordination with special education services.
Every child deserves the opportunity to fully belong. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start currently prohibits expelling a child because of their behavior and tightly limits suspension—instead emphasizing family engagement, mental health consultation, and support.
A new federal proposal would remove these protections. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start was built with families—not just for them.
A new federal proposal would eliminate or weaken requirements for family engagement and parent involvement in program decision-making.
Parents know what their children need. Keep them at the table. #ProtectHeadStart
High-quality Head Start starts with skilled, supported educators.
A new federal proposal would restrict when programs can incentivize educators to earn postsecondary degrees/credentials.
We should create more opportunities for professional growth—not fewer. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start has long recognized that strong partnerships with families extend beyond the classroom.
A new federal proposal would eliminate longstanding requirements for teacher home visits and weaken standards for Early Head Start’s home-based services. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start serves families across Georgia—including 300+ military families.
A new federal proposal would make sweeping changes to the standards that help ensure families can count on high-quality Head Start. #ProtectHeadStart
Take Action: https://geears.org/protectheadstart/
A new federal proposal would require Head Start instruction to be conducted in English, replacing research-based standards that support children’s development in both English and their home language. #ProtectHeadStart
Take Action Now: https://geears.org/protectheadstart/
Head Start works for Georgia families. A new federal proposal could weaken the quality and comprehensive services that make Head Start work.
Speak up for a strong Head Start. Submit a public comment by October 6.
Learn more: https://geears.org/protectheadstart/
Your stories — whether as a Head Start provider, teacher, or parent/caregiver — are critical to protecting Head Start. Share your story: https://vocalvideo.com/c/ProtectHeadStart
Head Start helps identify developmental concerns early. In 2025, Georgia programs referred 1,350 children for IDEA evaluations.
A new federal proposal would eliminate the 45-day screening timeline and other requirements that help connect children to services. #ProtectHeadStart
In Georgia alone, 14,817 Head Start parents are employed, in school, or participating in job training.
But a new federal proposal to overhaul Head Start could allow some programs to operate for as little as three hours per day—hours that simply don't work for many working families.
A shorter Head Start day could leave parents scrambling to find additional child care, rearrange work schedules, or choose between work and care. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start is more than an early learning program. Its comprehensive approach helps connect children and families to health care, dental care, mental health services, nutrition supports, developmental screenings, and other services that help children grow and thrive.
But a new federal proposal to overhaul Head Start would eliminate or weaken many of the specific standards that help ensure children and families receive these comprehensive supports.
#ProtectHeadStart
For families already facing significant challenges, paperwork can create another barrier to getting their children into Head Start. Today, when families can’t readily provide certain documents—like a birth certificate—Head Start programs have flexibility to verify that information in other ways. A new federal proposal would take away some of that flexibility, creating particular challenges for families experiencing homelessness or other instability.
If the goal is to reduce administrative burden and make Head Start easier to access, adding paperwork barriers for families and programs moves in the wrong direction. #ProtectHeadStart
In rural Georgia, 1 in 4 child care slots is in Head Start. That makes Head Start more than an early learning program—it is an essential part of the infrastructure that allows families to work and rural communities to thrive.
The proposed rule would significantly reduce the amount Head Start programs can spend on administrative costs. A one-size-fits-all limit could be particularly challenging for smaller and rural programs that don't have the economies of scale of larger programs.
Georgia's rural communities need a strong Head Start. #ProtectHeadStart
When a young child is struggling, Head Start responds with support—not exclusion.
Head Start's current standards prohibit expulsion because of a child's behavior and tightly limit suspension, instead emphasizing family engagement, mental health supports, and other ways to help children succeed.
A new federal proposal to overhaul Head Start would remove these protections. Young children deserve support to stay, learn, and thrive in their classrooms. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start supports families in communities across Georgia—including more than 300 active-duty military and veteran families.
Wherever families live and whatever their circumstances, they should be able to count on Head Start's longstanding commitment to high-quality early learning and comprehensive family supports.
We should strengthen that commitment—not weaken it. #ProtectHeadStart
A new federal proposal to overhaul Head Start would require instruction to be conducted in English, replacing current standards that allow programs to support children’s development in both English and their home language.
Research shows that young dual language learners learn best when educators build on the language they already know as they learn English. Supporting a child’s home language doesn’t slow English acquisition—it can actually help children learn English more quickly while strengthening their overall learning and development.
Head Start educators should be able to use evidence-based practices that help every child thrive. #ProtectHeadStart
Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, participate, and fully belong.
Head Start provides critical services to Georgia children with disabilities, with standards designed to support inclusion, accommodations, coordination with families and specialists, and children's full participation in their classrooms.
A new federal proposal to overhaul Head Start would eliminate several of these specific requirements. For many Georgia children with disabilities, Head Start is where inclusion starts.
Let's protect what makes that inclusion possible.
#ProtectHeadStart
Head Start doesn't operate in isolation. It's a crucial part of Georgia's broader early care and education system.
Head Start partners with families, child care providers, schools, health professionals, community organizations, and other systems to help children get what they need to thrive.
Changes to Head Start don't just affect one federal program—they ripple across the communities and systems that Georgia's children and families rely on. #ProtectHeadStart
For generations of families, Head Start has been more than a preschool program. It's a place where children learn, parents are treated as partners, and families can find support as they work toward their goals.
A new federal proposal to overhaul Head Start would eliminate or weaken requirements for family engagement and parent involvement in program decision-making.
Parents know what their children and families need. Head Start was built with families—not just for them. Keep parents at the table. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start’s commitment to quality starts with the people teaching and caring for children every day.
A new federal proposal to overhaul Head Start would weaken workforce standards, including limiting when programs can incentive postsecondary education and credentials for staff.
Early educators are professionals. We should invest in the skilled educators who make Head Start work every day. #ProtectHeadStart
Young children learn and thrive through warm, responsive interactions with adults. Smaller ratios give teachers the time to provide more one-on-one attention, engage with each child, and keep children safe. #ProtectHeadStart
Right now, Early Head Start standards allow one teacher for every four 2-year-olds. Georgia's child care licensing minimum allows one teacher for every ten. The proposed rule would eliminate Head Start's research-based staff-to-child ratio requirements and instead rely on state licensing minimums. #ProtectHeadStart
Head Start works for Georgia families. Let’s keep it strong. 💙
More than 20,000 Georgia children are served by Head Start and Early Head Start, helping children thrive and parents work. In rural Georgia, more than 1 in 4 child care slots are in Head Start.
Now, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed sweeping changes that could fundamentally weaken the quality and comprehensive services that make Head Start work for families.
You have a chance to speak up. 📣
Tell the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services why Georgia needs a strong Head Start. Submit a public comment by October 6.
Your stories — whether as a Head Start provider, teacher, or parent/caregiver — strengthen our advocacy to protect Head Start. We’ll share your experiences with Georgia's Congressional Delegation and our networks as we work to improve outcomes for young children and families in our state. Click the link in our bio to share your story. #ProtectHeadStart
Quality child care starts with quality spaces.
Across Georgia, child care providers need resources to repair, renovate, and modernize their facilities so they can continue serving children, families, and communities. #BuildUpGA #GANeedsChildCare
Child care facilities are often called the "third teacher."
Safe, engaging environments support healthy development, strengthen learning, and help children thrive from their earliest years. #BuildUpGA #GANeedsChildCare
Child care is essential infrastructure.
Strategic investments in child care facilities help programs serve more families, support Georgia's workforce, and strengthen communities. #BuildUpGA #GANeedsChildCare
Georgia's child care providers need improved facilities to expand access and serve more families..
With capital funding, these providers could fill their communities’ needs. #BuildUpGA #GANeedsChildCare
When we invest in child care facilities, we're investing in the places where children learn, grow, and thrive.
A state investment in child care facilities would create stronger learning environments for Georgia's youngest children. #BuildUpGA #GANeedsChildCare
Every child deserves a space where they can learn, play, and thrive.
Investments in accessible facilities, therapy spaces, bathrooms, and playgrounds help ensure child care programs are designed to meet the needs of all children. #BuildUpGA #GANeedsChildCare #InclusionMatters
Child care facilities are as essential as public schools and libraries. Child care if infrastructure and needs our support. Child care infrastructure funding can strengthen local economies, support working families, and create better learning environments for children. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
Georgia has an opportunity to build stronger communities. As a state, we must invest in the child care facilities that support children, families, educators, and local economies. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
There’s a reason that safe, engaging, developmentally appropriate learning environments are called the “third teacher.” Facilities play a critical role in children’s learning and development. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
Child care is infrastructure, just like roads, housing, and utilities. Communities need quality child care facilities to support families and a strong workforce. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
Many child care providers would expand or improve their programs if they could only afford facility repairs and renovations. Strategic state investment can help providers grow and serve more families. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
Child care facilities are more than buildings — they are part of the infrastructure families rely on every day. When programs have safe, functional, developmentally appropriate spaces, children thrive, educators are better supported, and parents are able to work.
Georgia’s economy depends on capital investment. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
Investments in child care facilities help families get to work, which in turn, helps strengthen communities. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
Georgia’s child care providers want to expand classrooms, improve playgrounds, modernize facilities, and better serve children and families. But too many programs lack access to repair and renovation funds. It’s time for Georgia to add to support capital improvements to child care facilities. #BuildUpGA #GaNeedsChildCare
