Since 2021, Urban Institute researchers have maintained a close partnership with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) to examine ways to strengthen early care and learning in Georgia. DECAL expanded their partnership with the Urban Institute to include a study about their child care subsidy system, Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS).
In 2023, we began a multiyear collaboration with DECAL to design a study that focuses on better understanding parent experiences with the CAPS program. The study includes samples of individuals and parents who use or have been involved with CAPS, as well as those who have not used the program. Our study is divided into two phases:
- an exploratory phase interviewing people who work with CAPS families, conducting a secondary analysis of publicly available data (i.e., American Community Survey), and analyzing CAPS administrative data
- a primary data collection phase conducting interviews or focus groups and surveying Georgia families statewide
Results from the first phase will be released in summer 2025, and results from the primary data collection phase will be forthcoming in 2026.
