Georgia Child Care Providers Report Increased Focus on Early Literacy Practices as Rising Costs and Program Access Strain Families and Programs

-- New statewide survey highlights a few bright spots while reporting continued and new challenges to child care access and program sustainability --

ATLANTA, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Quality Care for Children (QCC), a Georgia-based nonprofit working to improve access to high-quality child care, today released findings from its 2026 Provider Pulse Check Survey, revealing a child care system under increasing strain, even as providers report stronger early learning practices and some relief to staffing challenges that have driven access issues over the past few years.

The survey, conducted in early 2026, gathered responses from nearly 600 child care learning centers and family child care learning homes across Georgia. While child care providers report bright spots that include an increased focus on early literacy practices, access to professional development, and a small decline in waitlists, the findings reflect a sector working hard to strengthen quality of care while managing rising costs and affordability challenges affecting both families and providers.

A highlight of this year's survey was providers reporting an increased focus on early literacy practices, including more intentional language and literacy experiences, and many noted that coaching and professional development have helped strengthen classroom practice.

At the same time, the survey points to ongoing business pressure. Many programs continue to face rising costs tied to food, staffing, and daily operations, and without additional investment in child care, providers have had to rely on tuition increases to sustain their programs. Families, in turn, are struggling to keep up with rising costs while still needing consistent, affordable care. In the past year, half of Georgia's providers who participated in the survey reported raising tuition or fees, and many expect to do so in the year ahead, while data from the First Five Years Fund shows that care in Georgia already costs more than $11,000 per year on average.

"Georgia's child care providers are doing more than ever to support children's learning and development, but they are also carrying enormous financial pressure," said Ellyn Cochran, president and chief executive officer of Quality Care for Children. "Programs are working to strengthen early literacy so that children arrive in kindergarten ready to learn, meet family needs, and maintain quality, all while navigating rising costs that make it harder to keep care affordable and sustainable."

Key Findings from the 2026 Survey:

• Access is tightening, especially for infants and toddlers: While 30% of child care programs reported an increase in waitlists, demand for infant and toddler care continues to outpace supply with 52% of programs reporting they are unable to meet the needs for those age groups.
• Costs are rising: About half of providers increased tuition or fees in the past year, often alongside cost-cutting measures such as delaying maintenance or reducing supplies, materials, and food items. Additionally, more than 40% of providers expect to increase tuition in the next year to help offset costs.
• Food costs are a growing pressure: A majority of providers continue to report hardship related to the cost of nutritious food, with 74% noting that families in their programs rely on child care for consistent access to meals. Alarmingly, close to 30% of providers cited that they have personally experienced food insecurity in the past year.
• Strong focus on literacy: Providers report high levels of agreement that teachers embed language-rich interactions throughout the day and classrooms include books and materials that reflect children's cultures, languages, and family experiences.
• Workforce challenges persist: Many providers say they could serve more children if they had sufficient staff, highlighting ongoing recruitment and retention challenges even with modest improvements in these areas from previous years.

The survey suggests that Georgia's child care sector is showing commitment to quality improvement and focused on ensuring that the young children in their care are nurtured and ready for kindergarten and beyond, even as the business model remains fragile. The findings also underscore the essential role child care programs play beyond early education. Many providers report that families depend on them not only for care, but also for support connecting to services such as food assistance and other resources.

What This Means for Georgia Families:

• Longer waitlists and fewer available slots for infants and toddlers
• Rising tuition and fees
• Increased difficulty finding affordable, high-quality care
• Loss of access to consistent meals and support services when care is unavailable

"Child care is essential to children's overall development and school readiness, family stability, and Georgia's economy," Cochran added. "If we want more families to find and afford quality care, we have to support the providers who make that possible. Without stronger, coordinated investment, families will continue to face fewer options and higher costs."

QCC continues to support child care providers through individualized coaching, business supports, and its Child Care Food Program, while helping families access affordable care through BOOST Scholarships and other resources. In 2025, QCC:

• Served families across Georgia with $2.7 million in BOOST Scholarships distributed 
• Supported close to 1,200 child care programs with individualized coaching
• Helped hundreds of child care programs improve quality and sustainability
• Provided 6.9 million meals though its Child Care Food Program

The full 2026 Provider Pulse report is available at: https://www.qualitycareforchildren.org/early-learning-insights/2026-provider-pulse-check.

The annual Provider Pulse Check survey was sent to all licensed child care learning centers and family child care learning homes across Georgia in February 2026. A total of 590 providers responded (a 16% response rate), including 220 of the state's family child care learning home programs, representing 90 of Georgia's 159 counties. 

About Quality Care for Children:
For more than forty years, Quality Care for Children (QCC) has remained Georgia's leader in equipping parents and child care providers with the resources they need to receive and provide high quality, affordable child care. The organization provides on-site consulting, training, business resources, and nutrition programs to child care programs and supports parents with tuition assistance for low-income families. Please visit www.QualityCareforChildren.org or call (404) 479-4181 for more information.

Media Contact:
Sonia Fuller
Sonia Fuller Communications
404-660-1261
[email protected] 

SOURCE Quality Care for Children