Vax After Dark, pandemic poem, Amtrak s back: News from around our 50 states msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Georgia will use federal coronavirus relief money to temporarily pay all the costs of child care for 50,000 children enrolled in a program that subsidizes care for lower-income families.
Georgia to spend $95M in federal aid to subsidize child care statesboroherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from statesboroherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Caption The budget, which takes effect July 1, devotes large amounts of spending to Georgia health care services and education. Credit: Stephen Fowler/GPB file photo
Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a $27.2 billion state budget for the 2022 fiscal year in Georgia that restores most cuts made last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the remaining shortfalls expected to be covered by federal relief funds.
The budget, which takes effect July 1, devotes large amounts of spending to Georgia health care services and education, adding back more than half of the nearly $1 billion cut from public schools as part of 10% reductions instituted last year amid pandemic-driven revenue declines that began rebounding last summer.
A new analysis of Georgia’s public Pre-Kindergarten program shows several providers would benefit from more state funding. The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) surveyed 38% of the state’s Pre-K directors.
“We wanted to get the perspectives of those implementing this program on how they interact with funding,” says Stephen Owens, a senior policy analyst with GBPI who authored the report. “Is it adequate? Is it covering all their needs in order to set students up for kindergarten?”
48% of the survey’s respondents said they don’t receive enough money from the state to implement high-quality programs. 32% said state funding is sufficient.