ATLANTA (December 13, 2024) -Yesterday, the Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Childcare unanimously adopted its final committee report and recommendations. The committee, created under Senate Resolution 471, spent months examining methods to increase access to affordable child care in Georgia.

Over the course of four meetings, committee members heard testimony from numerous stakeholders on the effect of childcare on Georgia's workforce and economy, after-school and summer childcare programs and childcare funding mechanisms.

Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough), Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on Access to Affordable Childcare, spoke on the work the committee has accomplished, stating, "Ensuring our Georgia families have access to affordable childcare is a vital issue that our committee sought out to address. These findings reflect the dedication of countless childcare providers, parents, and advocates who shared their insights, as well as the commitment of my fellow committee members to address this critical subject. Together, we identified key steps to improve childcare workforce recruitment, development and retention. We also pinpointed methods to expand childcare access to serve more families and increase funding opportunities for childcare providers. These recommendations lay a strong foundation for creating a more equitable and sustainable childcare system in our state for future generations."

Some of the key findings and recommendations from the committee include:

1. Providing additional options for childcare workers to receive access to funding for childcare services.
2. Implement a refundable tax credit for early childhood educators.
3. Increase the tax credit for child and dependent care expenses.
4. Prioritize the creation of a Georgia Child Tax Credit, helping families with the youngest children offset the expenses they incur as their children reach school age.
5. Expand eligibility for Georgia's tax credit for employer-sponsored childcare and make the amount of that credit more generous.

The full report is available on the Georgia General Assembly website here.

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Sen. Brian Strickland serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary. He represents the 17^th Senate District, which includes all of Morgan and portions of Henry, Newton and Walton County. Sen. Strickland may be reached by phone at 404.463.6598 or by email at [email protected].

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