Georgia runs its publicly funded child care subsidy through Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS), administered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), also known under the consumer-facing name Bright from the Start. CAPS delivers federal CCDBG funding combined with state general-revenue and lottery appropriations through DECAL's statewide central administration and a network of Family Support Consultants. The program covers Quality Rated licensed centers, licensed family child care learning homes, and approved license-exempt informal providers.
Eligibility leans more restrictive than some neighboring states at intake: Georgia sets initial CAPS eligibility at 50 percent of state median income, with ongoing eligibility extending to 85 percent of SMI under federal CCDBG floor rules. Priority Groups receive guaranteed enrollment when income-eligible; other working families enroll as funding allows.
DECAL sets statewide CAPS rules: who can be eligible (including the Priority Group framework), what counts as a work or school activity, the family co-pay schedule, and how providers are paid. CAPS Family Support Consultants assigned by region handle eligibility determinations, family co-pay calculations, and parent referrals. The CAPS Family Portal at caps.decal.ga.gov is the primary intake channel. Quality Rated technical assistance is delivered through DECAL's regional Quality Improvement Specialists and through Child Care Resource and Referral agencies under contract with DECAL.
Georgia's CAPS eligibility rules require a need activity (work, school, or training), Georgia residency, and household income within the ceiling, plus categorical eligibility for the Priority Groups.
Georgia sets initial Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) eligibility at 50 percent of the state median income (SMI) for the household size. Approximate monthly income limits for 2025-2026:
Once enrolled, ongoing eligibility extends to 85 percent of SMI, providing meaningful cliff protection for families whose income rises during the certification year. Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) typically applies to children in protective services, children of teen parents in school, children of TANF recipients, and children in the Transitional Child Care window after TANF closes.
Both parents (or the single parent) must be working, in school, or in an DECAL-approved job-training program. Children must be under age thirteen, or under age nineteen if the child has documented special needs.
Georgia sets a weekly family fee on a sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income. The schedule is published by DECAL and updated periodically as federal and state funding allows. Approximate monthly equivalents for 2025-2026:
The co-pay is paid directly to the provider each month. Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) reimbursement covers the difference between the family co-pay and the provider's contracted rate, up to the DECAL-published maximum reimbursement rate for that region, child age, and provider type.
Georgia reimburses CAPS providers at a base rate set by county tier and child age, plus quality enhancement add-ons for providers at the Quality Rated one-, two-, and three-star levels. Three-star providers receive the largest add-on. Reimbursement rates were updated by DECAL in 2024 to reflect the federal requirement that states pay providers at rates that support equal access to the broader child care market. Full-time infant center base reimbursement ranged from roughly $750 per month in lower-cost rural south Georgia counties to roughly $1,300 per month in higher-cost metro Atlanta regions. Family child care home rates ran 15 to 25 percent below center rates.
Georgia Pre-K Program (lottery-funded universal pre-K for four-year-olds) provides additional state-funded preschool slots for income-eligible three- and four-year-olds, separate from Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS). Many working families use Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) for younger children and combine state pre-K with Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) wraparound at age three or four.
Georgia does not operate a statewide CAPS waitlist for priority-group families. However, Georgia historically capped general CAPS enrollment at funded capacity, and Priority Groups 1 through 7 (children in foster care, child protective services, TANF, teen parents, families in transition, families with a child with special needs, and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren) receive guaranteed enrollment when income-eligible. Working low-income families outside the priority groups may experience enrollment delays or capacity caps depending on the federal CCDBG allocation in a given state fiscal year.
Use decal.ga.gov or call 1-833-414-2277 to find your local intake office. DECAL's central CAPS office and its statewide network of CAPS Family Support Consultants handles intake for residents of its service area.
Georgia accepts CAPS applications online through the Family Portal. Apply online at caps.decal.ga.gov through the CAPS Family Portal. Paper applications are available by request. The application asks for family composition, household income, the need activity (work, school, or training), work or school hours, and a preferred child care provider if you have one selected.
Photo ID for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of Georgia residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; a current work schedule from your employer.
Categorical priority groups are typically determined within five to ten business days. Working families are determined within two to four weeks of completed application. If verification documents are incomplete, the intake office will request additional items by phone or mail.
Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) families select any DECAL-approved provider: licensed day care centers, licensed day care homes, license-exempt relative providers, license-exempt non-relative home providers, or license-exempt centers (typically faith-based or school-affiliated). The intake office issues a certificate of eligibility with the approved hours and reimbursement rate. DECAL or its contracted intake agency pays the provider directly, and the family pays the monthly co-pay to the provider.
Provider participation in CAPS is voluntary. To accept CAPS, the provider must hold a DECAL child care license (or approved license-exempt status for informal providers), participate in Quality Rated, sign a CAPS Provider Agreement, accept the county-tier maximum reimbursement rate, and meet attendance reporting requirements. The Atlanta metro area's higher-tuition private centers in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, and East Cobb often decline CAPS because their posted rates exceed the maximum reimbursement available.
One practical tip: Georgia has a 12-month minimum eligibility period under federal CCDBG, so if you are certified for CAPS and your income temporarily rises during the year, you do not automatically lose subsidy mid-period. Report income changes at recertification, but do not assume a temporary spike ends your assistance.
Initial eligibility at 50 percent of state median income (SMI); ongoing eligibility at 85 percent of SMI. Approximate monthly limits: $3,320 (family of two), $4,100 (three), $4,880 (four).
A monthly co-pay on a sliding scale, from $0 to $10 per month for the lowest-income tier to $130 to $230 per month at the upper end of eligibility.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) sets policy; DECAL's central CAPS office and its statewide network of CAPS Family Support Consultants handles intake, eligibility, family co-pays, and provider payments.
Georgia does not operate a statewide CAPS waitlist for priority-group families. However, Georgia historically capped general CAPS enrollment at funded capacity, and Priority Groups 1 through 7 (children in foster care, child protective services, TANF, teen parents, families in transition, families with a child with special needs, and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren) receive guaranteed enrollment when income-eligible. Working low-income families outside the priority groups may experience enrollment delays or capacity caps depending on the federal CCDBG allocation in a given state fiscal year.
Quality Rated is Georgia's tiered quality rating and improvement system, with one-, two-, and three-star ratings administered by DECAL. CAPS funding is generally restricted to providers with a Quality Rated star rating; programs participating but not yet rated may be approved on a provisional basis. Higher-rated programs receive larger bonus packages above the base CAPS reimbursement rate.
Yes. License-exempt relative care by a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or adult sibling requires background checks and a license-exempt provider registration with DECAL.
Yes. TANF families receive priority Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) during approved work activities and the Transitional Child Care window after TANF closes.
Photo ID, child birth certificates, proof of Georgia residency, 30 days of pay stubs or employer letter, school enrollment documentation if applicable, and current work schedule.
Georgia's CAPS intake ceiling at 50 percent of state median income is one of the lower intake thresholds among Southern states, though the 85 percent SMI ongoing ceiling under federal CCDBG floor rules provides cliff protection. CAPS reimbursement rates are tied to Quality Rated star levels, which makes star participation effectively required for providers serving CAPS families at scale. Georgia's universal Pre-K program for four-year-olds (the nation's first lottery-funded universal pre-K, established in 1995) is a distinct program with its own application process; many working families use CAPS for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, then enroll in lottery-funded Pre-K at age four and use CAPS for wraparound hours.
Georgia families have the right to appeal a CAPS denial or termination by requesting a DECAL administrative hearing within thirty calendar days of the determination notice. Most denials are reversed when the family provides missing pay stubs, a corrected work schedule, or updated household composition. If the appeal does not succeed, options include reapplying when income or hours change, pursuing Head Start or Early Head Start, enrolling a four-year-old in Georgia's lottery-funded Pre-K regardless of CAPS status, or asking your employer about a Dependent Care FSA.
Georgia's CAPS system substantially reduces daycare costs for low-income working families in Priority Groups and for general-population families when funding allows. Quality Rated reimbursement add-ons reward higher-rated providers. For most Georgia families within range of the income ceiling, the single best move is to apply through the CAPS Family Portal now, even before you need care, and to plan for lottery-funded Pre-K at age four with CAPS wraparound hours covering before- and after-program care.
What a center or licensed home actually costs across Georgia regions in 2026.
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