SMART START CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY

July 18, 2003

JULY 18, 2003 TIFTON - Tift Countians celebrated one year under the Smart Start Georgia program Monday by honoring child care centers and early care professionals.

Tift County is one of 14 counties statewide participating in the public/private partnership, which offers scholarships for child care professionals and technical assistance to centers and providers. Partners include the state of Georgia, the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, United Ways of Georgia, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and more than 40 other organizations.

Formerly known as the Georgia Early Learning Initiative (GELI), Smart Start Georgia came to Tifton in 2002 through the efforts of United Way of South Central Georgia Director Carol Johnson and Kids Advocacy Coalition Director Jerri Walker.
Chris Efaw, vice president of the local United Way board, spoke on the importance of early care and education at the celebration. Also attending the event were Rep. Penny Houston, Rep. Austin Scott, Mayor Paul Johnson and Vice Mayor Joe Lewis, along with more than 200 other child advocates.

Twenty-nine local early childhood teachers, directors and family child care providers presently receive salary supplements through Smart Start Georgia's INCENTIVE$ program. The program encourages teachers to stay in the field and increase their levels of education by supplementing their salaries.

Two local early care professionals currently receive funding from Smart Start Georgia's Scholarships program, and 14 early care and education centers receive technical assistance and training.


Two Tift County child care centers received tiered reimbursement through a Smart Start program that provides higher rates of reimbursement to child care centers, group homes and family care providers that demonstrate higher levels of quality and provide child care subsidized by the Department of Family and Children Services' Childcare and Parent Services Section.

To contact city editor Florence Rankin, call 382-4321, ext. 209. 

â?? This article posted with permission from The Tifton Gazette.