SOME GA. PRESCHOOL WORKERS GET RAISES

January 3, 2004

JANUARY 3, 2004 Agency offers incentives to stay in the field and further education

Swangala Osborn used the extra cash to further her pursuit of a degree in child psychology.
"I want to help children, but I also want to help parents help their children," said Osborn, who works at the Hall County Head Start/Pre-K program in Gainesville. 

She was among 29 child-care providers in Hall County who had their pay recently boosted by a total of $10,550. 

The money comes from Smart Start Georgia, a state-wide agency that works to improve the quality of care and education for preschool children, through its Incentive$ program. 

The program rewards early care and education professionals for continuing their work in their current setting and increasing their levels of education. 

By supplementing their pay, the program encourages those who work directly with young children to stay in the field and continue to gain knowledge and refine their skills. 

"Smart Start Georgia strives to foster quality early learning experiences so that each child in Georgia is ready to succeed by the time he or she enters kindergarten," said Sharen Hausmann, director of Smart Start, previously known as the Georgia Early Learning Initiative. 

The agency, which is funded by public and private sources, cites National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force statistics showing that every year, 40 percent of child care workers leave their jobs. 

Smart Start Georgia says its Incentive$ program has helped Georgia achieve a 9 percent turnover rate among recipients. 
The program has distributed nearly $3.5 million to more than 2,000 recipients in 124 Georgia counties since it began in April 2001. Preschool workers can qualify for two payments per year. 

Marsha Moore, executive director of Georgia's Office of School Readiness, lauded the program as helping to "promote the high-quality, stable learning environments need-ed for children to succeed later in life." 
"Research shows that children who experience quality early learning are less likely to drop out of school, repeat grades, need special education or get into future trouble with the law than similar children who did not have such exposure," she said. 

The Office of School Readiness oversees the state's lottery-funded pre-kindergarten program. 
Osborn, 34, also appreciates the program. 

"Our children are our future," she said. "When I get older, they'll be taking care of me so I want them to have the best resources they can have." 
Emma Edge, who works at The Sunshine House on Old Flowery Branch Road, said she believes the extra pay will help encourage people to work with preschoolers. 
"A lot of people ... don't want to fool with the little ones," she said. 
By JEFF GILL
The Times in Gainesville

â?? This article posted with permission from The Times in Gainesville.