Release:

Beginning October 18, 2021, all licensed Georgia child care providers are encouraged to apply for a fourth round of STABLE (Short-Term Assistance Benefit for Licensed Entities) from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). Funding for STABLE 4WARD comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress earlier this year and will help child care providers and families with workforce support, child care tuition relief, costs of facilities, supplies, materials, and food.

According to DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs, approximately $871 million will be paid to licensed child care programs, providers with temporary licenses and at least one initial licensing visit, and partners for Early Head Start grantees. DECAL has developed a fair and equitable formula for determining the amount of each STABLE 4WARD payment.

To date, DECAL has distributed more than $144 million in emergency funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and over $107 million in emergency funding from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CCRRSA) Act to help provide child care assistance to frontline workers and help stabilize the child care market.