Early Education and Care
Much More Than Childcare
At Easterseals, we believe that all families, regardless of income, disability, or national origin, deserve access to high-quality, affordable early care and education. As the largest provider of Inclusive Early Education and Care services to children ages 6 weeks to five years in Georgia our program promotes school readiness and provides the tools for EVERY child to succeed at no cost for children of income qualifying families.
We provide services to over 2,000 children annually. Every child develops at their own pace so our team of early development experts take a whole-child approach to promote the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of each child based on their individual need and circumstance. Our ESNG Kids learn in a developmentally appropriate environment while also receiving comprehensive services addressing: nutrition, medical, dental, disability, and mental health needs.
Nutritious meals and snacks are provided to enrolled children at no separate cost. Please see recent announcement for our Dekalb Early Education Centers regarding meals: CACFP Program Sponsorship
Early Learning and Development
We support children in developing social skills, emotional well-being, language and literacy skills, mathematics, and science concepts.
Family Well-being
Support is provided to enhance family well-being, achieve family goals, and strengthen parent-child relationships. Resources might include housing stability, food security, continuing education including access to technology, and financial literacy tools.
Health and Physical Development
We provide and encourage safe and dynamic environments that promote health and well-being. Referrals for medical, dental, disability, and mental health services are often available to ensure the healthcare needs of the child are met.
We have 20 nationally accredited child development centers across metro Atlanta and Northeast Georgia.
Featuring:
Safe and caring environments
State-of-the-art tools and programs
Individualized learning plans
Highly qualified teachers
Low child-adult ratios
Low staff turnover
Active parent-centered partnerships
Easterseals child care services are designed to provide young children with the optimal environment for successful learning and development.
“All children are born with unlimited potential and a unique genius that is just waiting to be fostered.”
Inclusive Learning
Inclusive Learning is the practice of educating and caring for children with disabilities in the same environment or setting as their typically developing peers.
Easterseals serves thousands of young children and their families in an inclusive setting where children with disabilities comprise 30% of enrollment.
Creating an inclusive environment allows children of all abilities to learn and participate in the same daily activities and routines. It fosters understanding, teaches acceptance, and helps each student to maximize their potential by providing a more authentic educational experience. Although our kids receive the same opportunities their educational plans are tailored to their specific needs and goals. Working together, we champion children, fueling every child's capacity for success. Together, we will ensure that all children have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play in their communities.
Family Support (Case Management)
We understand that quality education and care require a good support system. A child’s success depends significantly on his/her family’s engagement and stability so collaboration is key. We foster meaningful relationships with families working together to help optimize each child’s learning and growth as well as the family’s goals as a whole. Using a two-generation approach, we focus on increasing the family’s self-sufficiency while also providing supports so that families learn to be their child’s first and most important teacher and advocate. It is our goal to ensure that families can thrive together and have all the tools and services needed to attend to all aspects of their physical and mental well-being and security.
Through case management, our Family Support Advocates provide education and information, guided referrals, financial wellness coaching, mental health services, GED and adult education attainment, mentorship, parent and leadership training, emergency support, advocacy, and more to parents, caregivers, and families to address their specific needs.
“I found Easterseals at a time when I needed to get on my feet and couldn’t afford the high expense of daycare for two kids. My son joined in 2019, and he was able to take advantage of great resources that helped with his speech impairment. He was able to get a great head start in receiving much-needed help, and he is doing amazing in 1st grade now. Easterseals is amazing, and it has been a wonderful ride with them these past 5 years. I say thank you to all the staff and teachers. I’m so grateful.”
