According to data from the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, 53% of Georgia households with children under six face a staggering childcare affordability burden, Quality Care for children is helping to change that.
A $2 million grant announced Sept. 23 by Quality Care for Children will help at least 130 children in Atlanta and Clayton County access a year of child care through scholarships funded by United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation.
The funding will be split between the PAACT (Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive) Scholarship for Atlanta, powered by BOOST, and a newly created BOOST Economic Mobility Scholarship in Clayton County.
Without the scholarship, single mother Mia McKinney would have faced the difficult reality of not being able to search for employment due to lack of childcare for her son.
“I think it changed the trajectory of where I thought I was going to have to go,” McKinney said.
McKinney said assumptions about who needs financial assistance can obscure the pressures families face, including those with education, professional experience and a home of their own.
“I think there are stereotypes and generalizations about who receives funding and who gets assistance and who gets help,” she said. “I have a master’s degree. I have two bachelor’s degrees. I own my home.”
“Every now and again we all need a little bit of help,” she said.
The new funding will help address demand for scholarships in Atlanta while extending the program to Clayton County, said Ellyn Cochran, president and CEO of Quality Care for Children. The grants will support at least 65 children in each area, with scholarships available for children younger than 4 until they become eligible for pre-K.
The demand was apparent before the Clayton County opportunity was widely publicized. Cochran said more than 100 families were already on a waiting list.
“We are so thrilled with the additional investment from the United Way of Greater Atlanta,” Cochran said, describing how the funding will help families access quality care and give the program a foothold in a new community.
Child care costs can make it difficult for parents to remain in the workforce. Cochran said infant care in Georgia costs an average of more than $11,000 a year.
“BOOST Scholarships help bridge the gap between what families can afford and what child care costs,” according to Quality Care for Children’s announcement.
Families must have household incomes at or below 85% of the state median income to qualify. They contribute up to 7% of their average household income toward weekly child care fees, with the scholarship covering the remaining eligible cost within program limits. Families can use the scholarships at participating quality-rated providers.
Cochran said the investment also supports child care providers by helping families pay tuition and providing programs with more dependable revenue.
In 2025, Quality Care for Children provided more than $2.7 million in scholarships, benefiting 491 children and supporting 284 child care programs.
McKinney hopes to give back to BOOST when she is working again. For now, she encourages parents who need assistance to apply without feeling ashamed.
“Don’t be embarrassed about it,” she said. “As a parent, your job is to be a good steward of your child and to advocate for them.”
