The state of Georgia offers many great opportunities for families as it relates to quality childcare. As the largest state east of the Mississippi River, Georgians have a large number of childcare providers to choose from when it comes to finding quality childcare for their infants, preschoolers and school aged children. Due to the large number of working parents in Georgia, more than half a million children under the age of six are potentially in need of childcare services, adding to the need for excellent childcare providers in the state. Georgia has nearly 3,300 childcare centers and 3,400 family child care homes.
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Most families in Georgia find childcare for their children at a child care center, as 95% of Georgia’s child care slots are within centers. However, only about 7% of those childcare centers are accredited, leaving room for growth in the improvement of quality at the existing childcare centers in the state. Of families living in Georgia seeking childcare, 44% need care for an infant and 29% need care for a preschool aged child, and of families requesting referrals for childcare in Georgia, all reported a need for full-time childcare services.
Families utilizing a childcare center in Georgia can expect to pay more for childcare services than parents using a family child care home. On average, married couples in Georgia spend 9% of their income on childcare, while single mothers spend 30% of their income on childcare. This suggests a need for subsidized care for single mothers or for lower cost but high quality childcare providers. On average, more than 29,000 families receive assistance to pay for childcare each month, and more than 6,900 childcare providers participate in childcare subsidy programs in Georgia.
Georgia offers many favorite sites for families to visit, including professional sports in the NBA, NFL, MLB, AFL and the Masters golf tournament; the Coca-Cola Museum in Downtown Atlanta; CNN Center; the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial site; the Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; and many sites devoted to American history from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Georgia offers families a variety of recreational activities, from hiking in the Appalachian Mountains to relaxing on the sunny and mild beaches along the Atlantic coast to the vibrant bustle of Atlanta, which hosts the world’s busiest airport.
