In June 2023, the Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive (PAACT) initiative, a city-wide alliance of public and private partners led by the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS), announced the PAACT Repair and Renovation Grant Program. These grants provided up to $75,000 in funding for child care providers to repair, renovate, or otherwise improve their facilities. Eligibility was limited to providers who participated in Georgia’s Quality Rated System and who served low-income newborn to four-year-old children in Atlanta.
The PAACT Repair and Renovation Grant Program was part of the PAACT Fund for Quality, established in 2020, which aimed to improve child care program quality and enhance the physical environments where young children learn and grow. The PAACT Repair and Renovation Grant Program was funded by the city’s $5 million PAACT commitment, supported by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, as well as $5 million from the public school system and $10 million from the private sector. Partner organizations—including the Reinvestment Fund, the Low Income Investment Fund, Early Learning Property Management, and Quality Care for Children—offered technical assistance, engaged contractors, built business practices, and tracked progress toward project completion.
When the program ended, PAACT had provided repair and renovation grants to 74 Atlanta early learning programs to improve their facilities. According to PAACT, providers most commonly prioritized playground equipment, kitchens, and HVAC systems for repairs and renovations. Programs could also spend the money on ADA compliance, roofing and gutters, site security, and bathroom upgrades.
Sources:
Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students. (n.d.). PAACT Repair & Renovation Grant Opportunity.
Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students. (2022, April 4). Early Education Advocates Cheer Mayor Dickens’ Announcement of $5 Million Investment.
Gil, C. (2023, June 27). Atlanta’s Child Care Providers Invited to Apply for PAACT Repair and Renovation Grants. Low Income Investment Fund.
LaRocca, A. (2025). Repair and Renovation Grant Program: Summative Evaluation Report. Luminary Evaluation.
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. (n.d.). Request for Qualifications: Construction Services for the PAACT Early Childhood Repair and Renovation Grant Program.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
High-quality, affordable early education and care supports children’s healthy development and allows families to work, engage in their own educational pursuits, and/or participate in other aspects of community life. To support children and families in these instrumental ways, research suggests there is a need to expand the availability of early education opportunities across the mixed-delivery system.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Families rely on a range of formal (e.g., Head Start, center-based care, public pre-K) and more informal (e.g., home-based, relative care) early education settings; when choosing a setting for their child, families balance many logistical constraints and personal preferences.
- But for many families – and especially low- and middle-income families – early education choices remain tightly constrained due to issues of affordability and supply.