Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Selects ClassWallet to Distribute Up to $140 Million in Federal Child Care and Development Funds for Four Grant Programs

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Mar 02, 2023, 08:30 ET

Contract marks the company's entry into the early child care and pre-school market

MIAMI and ATLANTA, March 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) has turned to ClassWallet to track, report and facilitate distribution of some $140 million in four grant programs funded by the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).

This contract represents the company's entry into the early child care and pre-school markets, having established itself as a leading provider of digital wallet and accounts payable platform solutions for state agencies, family scholarships and K-12 education.

The CCDF provides equal access to quality education for all children in their early development years. Georgia DECAL will distribute these funds to childcare programs via the following grants (grant amounts are maximum estimates):

Quality Rated Restoration Grants ($50 million): These grants will be awarded to early child care programs—including those affiliated with schools and private home-based operations—scheduled to be Quality Rated now through December 31, 2023. Recipients will receive $5,000 for each eligible classroom (up to 10 classrooms) and $500 for each eligible staff person for the acquisition of supplies, materials and services needed to prepare child care facilities in advance of their being evaluated.
Pyramid Model Training Grants ($220,000): These were established to help the early childhood education (ECE) workforce develop children's social-emotional skills, improve classroom climate and effectively use trauma-responsive practices via online modules and support from DECAL specialists. Grants will be awarded through June 2024.
School Age Grants ($10.1 million): DECAL will increase support to programs offering school-age care through grants, training, and coaching opportunities. This project will enhance the quality of school-age care in Georgia and explore options for incorporating school-age classrooms in Quality Rated Restoration Grants program.
Health & Safety Grants ($80 million): Between now and May 2024, this program will provide grants ranging from $5,000 to $40,000, based on capacity, to fund facility improvements that impact injury prevention and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) compliance.

"ClassWallet's automated payments platform has assisted us in distributing more than $15 million in COVID funding to help offset the educational disruption caused by the pandemic," said Rian Ringsrud, deputy commissioner for finance and administration, DECAL. "We've utilized and plan to utilize ClassWallet to distribute a wide variety of materials including PPE, Covid test kits, classroom supplies directly to teachers, materials to improve classroom quality and maintain healthy and safe environments. DECAL does not have this type of capacity internally and using ClassWallet has allowed us to provide access to these resources for child care programs and teachers across the state."

"ClassWallet is the leading digital wallet technology for government agencies, private schools and K-12 school districts," said Jamie Rosenberg, CEO, ClassWallet. "Our entry into early childcare is modeled on our previous success with ESA programs as we provide tools to simplify the purchasing and reimbursement process. Our technology will enable The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning to eliminate processing paper receipts and simultaneously create an easily audited money trail."

For more information about ClassWallet, send an email to [email protected] or call 877-969-5536.

About ClassWallet
Founded in 2014, ClassWallet (www.classwallet.com) is the leading digital wallet technology platform for federal, state and district education. Saving valuable time and overhead costs to track, pay and report on rules-based purchases and reimbursements. ClassWallet is used in 27 states and by 20 state agencies, across 6,200 schools serving 4.1 million students. ClassWallet's integrated marketplace of leading suppliers and learning curricula includes top retailers like Amazon, Office Depot, Staples, Scholastic, School Specialty, Lakeshore Learning and more. Headquartered in Miami, ClassWallet has been ranked number 779 on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. in 2022 and the 56^th fastest growing financial services company. It also ranks as the 155^th fastest growing company in North America according to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500. 

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SOURCE ClassWallet