One of the biggest challenges we face is having the financial security that we need to effectively run the early childhood education center.

 The early years are the most valuable years when it comes to educating our children. 

 By the time that your child is off of the waitlist, your child is now two- or three-years-old.

I really think that colleges and places really need to focus a little more on learning about kids on the spectrum and kids with mental illness and mental disabilities.

I would like to see the state officials and representatives allocate funding ... to be able to pay our staff accommodating wages for all of their hard work and dedication to the child care industry.

You shouldn't have to choose between child care, food, water, or paying your bills.

We have daycare providers that are closing down. They don't have their money coming in, and it's hard for them to keep their doors open, to help with the children.

You want to make [the children] feel like they're at home or make them feel like they are part of your life as much as you're part of their life.

The additional support will help me overcome tons of home utility bills and home bills, period. Because, again, that is my job as a family child care provider. But, I also have my family that I need to provide for, as well.

Our teachers are struggling with being able to have the effective training and the consistency which they need to be able to help these children to be successful. With that additional support– whether that's funding, or bringing in some more of those outside agencies and training specifically dealing with these students' fine motor skills– would help us to be able to get these students where they need to be.

My son does not attend child care, just because there are not any affordable child care centers for us. And if they are available, no one has space for him. It's not due to the lack of having space; it's the lack of staffing. I applied for CAPS. I've been denied several times... I'm a single mother trying to go back to work and make something affordable for my son, for my family.

I love what I do, because families depend on me, and children deserve stability. Even on the hardest days, I continue, because child care is more than just a job. It's a calling for me. With the right support for a provider like me, I can keep showing up for Georgia's children, shaping their futures one day at a time.

 We know that our daughter is in a great place, and we're really grateful to have the opportunity to send her someplace where she's safe, learning, and really thriving.  It was actually more expensive than our mortgage at one point, so that was really a jarring impact on our budget. But we love our daughter and wanted to make sure she was good, so it was always going to be worth it for her.

I have seen child care [providers] that want $300 a week, and that's fine if it's one child. But if you have multiple kids and $300 a week, you're looking at 3 times 4. That's $1,200. Most people's paychecks are not even enough to cover child care, rent, and food. 

A lot of people are not knowledgeable around children who have special needs and autism. They're just not willing to learn and be patient with them, so child care can be a challenge.