• You must be a teacher, assistant teacher, director, or assistant director (all other positions do not qualify) employed with and paid by a child care learning center that is licensed by Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning or the Department of Defense (DOD) or an exempt Georgia Head Start Center. 

• You must be a registered Family Child Care Learning Home provider or work in a registered Family Child Care Learning Home.

• You must be a Georgia Pre-K teacher or assistant teacher in a public school.

• You must work a minimum of 25 hours per week in your primary role as a teacher or assistant teacher in an infant, toddler, three-year-old OR Pre-K classroom during the daytime program hours (before- and after- school programs do not qualify) or 40 hours per week as a director or assistant director. Volunteer, practicums, and internships do not qualify.

• You must be a United States citizen, legal permanent resident, qualified alien or non-immigrant. 

You must earn $18.50 or less in W-2 wages or 1099-reported income or $38,480 or less in net income if self-employed (on Schedule C or K) and be able to document wages. All bonuses are calculated into your income and hourly wage. 

If you are a salaried employee, your hourly wage is calculated by dividing your annual salary by the number of hours you work annually. If you are a ten-month employee paid over 12 months, your wages are recalculated to determine the actual wage per hour worked you receive.

You must have been employed in your current eligible position with the same employer for at least six (6) consecutive months at the time you submit your AWARDS for Early Educators application. 

Your work setting must be ONE of the following:

• Has been accepted to the Quality Rated program or has earned a Quality Rated designation

• Is a Georgia Pre-K program in a public school

• Is a participant in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

• Is serving children of whom 25% or more receive a child care subsidy from the Child and Parent Services (CAPS) program.

Quality Rated, developed by Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early education and care programs. Similar to rating systems for other service related industries, Quality Rated assigns a quality rating (one, two, or three stars) to early education programs that meet a set of defined program standards. By participating in Georgia's voluntary Quality Rated, early education programs embark on a path of continuous quality improvement. 

Your work setting qualifies if your facility has been accepted to the Quality Rated program OR has received a Quality Rated designation of one, two or three stars.

Click here for more information about Quality Rated.

Qualifying credentials or degrees must be in early childhood education, child development or childcare administration and must be conferred within 12 months of applying for AWARDS for Early Educators. Academic credentials and degrees must be earned through a college or university that is regionally accredited (see www.chea.org for a list of the regional accrediting agencies).

If you qualify, you may receive  up to two payments per program level as follows:

		3rd LEVEL	$2,500 for attaining a Bachelor's Degree $2,500 for attaining a Master’s Degree
	2nd LEVEL	$1,500 for attaining a Technical College Diploma $1,500 for attaining an Associate of Applied Science Degree
1st LEVEL	$1,200 for attaining a CDA Credential issued by the Council for Professional Recognition OR $1,300 for an Infant/Toddler CDA $1,200 for attaining a Technical Certificate of Credit OR $1,300 for attaining a Technical Certificate of Credit (Infant and Toddler Care Specialist)

Click here to visit the Educational Counseling page to identify 

• Education options in the early childhood education field
• Georgia colleges and universities that offer early childhood education programs of study onsite and online
• Steps needed to enroll in a college or university
• Sources of financial aid

After earning your credential or degree, you can submit your AWARDS for Early Educators application and the required supporting documentation. You will receive an email letter of your award notification. If you are approved, you will receive payment six to eight weeks following receipt of the approval letter.

Awards will be issued on a first come, first serve basis. Completed applications will be processed in the order they are received. An application will not be considered complete until ALL supporting documentation is received.

• A copy of an official transcript showing the date you earned your credential/degree OR a copy of your valid Child Development Associate (CDA)^TM Credential. Eligible credentials and degrees must be in early childhood education, child development or child care administration.
• Copies of two recent paystubs reflecting the name of your employer, your name and gross and net wages. If you are a Family Child Care Learning Home or a Director/Owner and do not pay yourself W-2 wages, you should submit a copy of last year's Schedule C, Schedule K or other federal tax form documenting net business income.
• A copy of your Professional Development System (GaPDS) Profile reflecting your GaPDS number, your current employer, and a "Pending" or "Active" status.
• A legible copy of the FRONT and BACK of a secure and verifiable document. This is required to accompany the signed and notarized Affidavit for Lawful Presence Verification. The most common secure and verifiable documents you may submit are a driver's license, a United States passport, or a birth certificate (if you are still using your maiden name). Legal permanent residents, qualified aliens or non-immigrants must submit the government document that establishes legal status in the United States (e.g., permanent resident card, employment authorization document).

Awards will be issued on a first come, first serve basis. Completed applications will be processed in the order they are received. An application will not be considered complete until ALL supporting documentation is received.

AWARDS for Early Educators requires your Early Childhood Education Associates degree to have at least 30 semester or 39 quarter hours in ECE-specific courses, (i.e., an Associate of Applied Science). A bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education must have at least 36 semester or 48 quarter hours in ECE-specific courses.  Not all degrees meet this requirement.  Please review the number of ECE-specific credit hours on your transcript if you are considering applying for the AWARDS for Early Educators program.

The Professional Development System (GaPDS) is an innovative service provided by Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning for the early care and education workforce. It allows you to develop a profile of your career in early care and education including employment history, training hours and credentials and/or degrees earned. 

Registering is easy! You can sign up immediately even if you have not earned a credential or degree.  To learn more about the GaPDS or to create your own GaPDS account visit gapds.decal.ga.gov.

If you have questions or need technical support, contact the GaPDS at 404-334-6461 (866-258-7737 outside the metro Atlanta area) or email gapds@decal.ga.gov.

The "Affidavit for Lawful Presence Verification" is the form whereby you attest under oath to your legal presence in the United States which is required under O.C.G.A. 50-36-1(a)(3)(A) in order to be eligible to participate in the AWARDS for Early Educators program.

A Notary Public must witness your signature. Therefore, your signature date must be the same as or earlier than the Notary Public's signature date. 

The names on your "Affidavit for Lawful Presence Verification" and on your secure and verifiable document must be the same. 

A Notary Public's service is usually free of charge at a United States Post Office, a library or your bank.

The following list of secure and verifiable documents, published under the authority of O.C.G.A. 50-36-2, contains documents that are verifiable for identification purposes, and documents on this list may not necessarily be indicative of residency or immigration status.

 

• A driver's license issued by one of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Swain Islands, providing that it contains a photograph of the bearer or lists sufficient identifying information regarding the bearer, such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address to enable the identification of the bearer [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A United States passport or passport card [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• An original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a State, county, municipal authority, or territory of the United States bearing an official seal [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A United States Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A United States military identification card [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• An identification card issued by one of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Swain Islands, providing that it contains a photograph of the bearer or lists sufficient identifying information regarding the bearer, such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address to enable the identification of the bearer [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A tribal identification card of a federally recognized Native American tribe, provided it contains a photograph of the bearer, such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address to enable the identification of the bearer. A listing of federally recognized Native American tribes may be found at: http:/www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre?BIA/OIS/TribalGovernmentServices/TribalDirectory/index.htm [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• An Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph of the bearer [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A passport issued by a foreign government [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A Merchant Mariner Document or Merchant Mariner Credential issued by the United States Coast Guard [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A Free and secure Trade (FAST) card [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A NEXUS card [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) card [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A driver's license issued by a Canadian government authority [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A Certificate of Citizenship issued by the United States Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (Form N-560 or Form N-561) [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• A Certificate of Naturalization issued by the United States Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (Form N-550 or Form N-570)[O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• Certification of Report of Birth issued by the United States Department of State (Form DS-1350) [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the United States Department of State (Form FS-240) [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the United States Department of State (Form FS-240) [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(b)(3);8 CFR 274a.2]
• In addition to the documents listed herein, if, in administering a public benefit or program, an agency is required by federal law to accept a document or other form of identification for proof of or documentation of identity, that document or other form of identification will be deemed a secure and verifiable document solely for that particular program or administration of that particular public benefit. [O.C.G.A. 50-36-2(c)]

US Citizens are only required to submit a notarized Affidavit and the FRONT and BACK of a secure and verifiable document to AWARDS for Early Educators once. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 50-36-1) requires all legal permanent residents, qualified aliens, and nonimmigrants to submit a new Affidavit and a secure and verifiable document every 12 months.