Quality Care for Children Announces $2 Million Grant to Expand Access to High-Quality Child Care in Metro Atlanta

Funding from the United Way of Greater Atlanta in partnership with the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation is Supporting BOOST Scholarships for families in Clayton County and the City of Atlanta

ATLANTA, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Quality Care for Children (QCC), a Georgia-based nonprofit working to improve access to high-quality child care, today announced it has been awarded an additional $2 million in funding from the United Way of Greater Atlanta in partnership with the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation. The funding will help families in Clayton County and the City of Atlanta access affordable, high-quality child care through QCC's BOOST Scholarships.

QCC's BOOST Scholarships provide critical, short- and long-term financial assistance to families that is used solely for child care tuition, enabling parents to work while ensuring their children are in nurturing and high-quality learning environments. This grant will be divided between the PAACT Scholarship for Atlanta powered by BOOST and the newly created BOOST Economic Mobility Scholarship in Clayton County so that many more families will now have access to care they otherwise could not afford.

"This investment is about more than access to early learning and care -- it's about opportunity for children and stability for families," said Ellyn Cochran, president and chief executive officer of Quality Care for Children. "Families across Clayton County and the City of Atlanta are working hard to provide for their children, but too often, the cost of child care is out of reach. BOOST Scholarships help connect families to high-quality programs where children can learn, grow, and be prepared for school and life, while helping families get ahead."

BOOST Scholarships help bridge the gap between what families can afford and what child care costs, as paying for high-quality child care can be difficult or impossible for many working families. Families selected for either BOOST Scholarship must have a household income that is at 85% or below the state median income and pay 7% of their average household income on weekly child care fees while the BOOST Scholarship pays the rest.

The grant comes at a time when families and providers across Georgia continue to face rising costs and limited access to care, particularly for infants and toddlers. By expanding BOOST Scholarships in targeted metro Atlanta communities, QCC aims to help more families access much-needed affordable care while supporting child care programs that are essential to local economies. In 2025, QCC provided more than $2.7 million in scholarships, enabling 491 children to benefit from consistent care and learning while supporting 284 child care programs with additional revenue.

"Access to affordable, high-quality child care is foundational to strong families and a thriving workforce," said Cori Cain, Associate Vice President of Early Learning of United Way of Greater Atlanta. "Through this partnership with Quality Care for Children, we are investing in solutions that directly support families, strengthen communities, and create lasting impact across our region."

Through BOOST Scholarships and its broader work, QCC supports families in affording child care while strengthening early learning and care programs through coaching, business resources, and nutrition programs. This comprehensive approach ensures that children not only have access to care but also experience quality environments that support early learning and development.

About Quality Care for Children
For more than forty years, Quality Care for Children 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 low-income families with tuition assistance. Please visit QualityCareforChildren.org for more information.

About United Way of Greater Atlanta
United Way of Greater Atlanta, one of the largest United Way chapters in the nation, brings people and resources together across 13 counties to drive sustainable, equitable improvements in the well-being of children, families, and individuals. Serving Greater Atlanta for more than 120 years, the organization unites the efforts of more than 200 partners to help children and families build strong foundations and lasting pathways to economic mobility across generations. United is the way! Visit unitedwayatlanta.org or follow on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram for more.

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SOURCE Quality Care for Children