--- title: SR 1017. Week of the Young Child; recognize April 11-17, 2026 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr1017 cite_as: SR 1017, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1017 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1017.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1017/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74343 date: 2026-03-25 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1016.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1018.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1017.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 1017 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-25 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Ed Harbison - Michael Rhett - Elena Parent - Nan Orrock - Sally Harrell - David Lucas - Jaha Howard text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR1017/2025 upstream_id: 2137390 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - early childhood education - Week of the Young Child - Georgia Senate resolution - children's education --- # SR 1017. Week of the Young Child; recognize April 11-17, 2026 ## Text Senate Resolution 1017 By: Senators Harbison of the 15th, Rhett of the 33rd, Parent of the 44th, Orrock of the 36th, Harrell of the 40th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing April 11-17, 2026, as the Week of the Young Child; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the early years of a child's life represent a critical period of rapid brain development that lays the foundation for lifelong learning, health, and success; and WHEREAS, the Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration recognizing the importance of early learning, young children, their families, and the educators who support their growth and development; and WHEREAS, young children learn best through hands-on experiences, positive relationships, and supportive environments that nurture their cognitive, social-emotional, physical, language, and literacy development; and WHEREAS, high-quality early childhood programs provide essential support to working families while strengthening communities and contributing to the economic vitality of the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, early childhood educators play a vital role in providing nurturing care and meaningful learning experiences that prepare children for success in school and in life; and WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the State of Georgia to recognize and support the importance of high-quality early childhood education and the professionals who provide these critical services. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize April 11-17, 2026, as the Week of the Young Child and commend the educators, families, and organizations across Georgia who work to ensure that all young children have access to high-quality early learning opportunities. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body encourage citizens, communities, and policymakers throughout the State of Georgia to recognize the importance of early childhood education and to support efforts that strengthen programs and services that benefit young children and their families. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution designates April 11-17, 2026, as the Week of the Young Child, honoring early childhood educators, families, and programs across the state. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It is a ceremonial statement from the Senate recognizing April 11-17, 2026 as the Week of the Young Child, an annual observance that highlights the importance of early learning and the people who support young children. The resolution states that early childhood is a critical period for brain development and that high-quality early education programs help working families, strengthen communities, and support Georgia's economy. It commends educators, families, and organizations that provide early learning opportunities, and it encourages citizens, communities, and policymakers to support programs and services that benefit young children. The Secretary of the Senate is directed to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press. ### What it does - Formally recognizes April 11-17, 2026, as the Week of the Young Child in Georgia. - Commends early childhood educators, families, and organizations that support young children's learning across the state. - Encourages citizens, communities, and policymakers to support programs and services benefiting young children and their families. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### Who it affects The resolution primarily recognizes early childhood educators, young children and their families, and organizations that run early learning programs in Georgia. It also addresses citizens, communities, and policymakers generally by encouraging their support for early childhood education. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal requirements or funding, it publicly signals the Senate's support for early childhood education and gives visibility to educators and programs serving young children, which can shape public attention and future policy discussions. ### Key provisions - The resolution recognizes April 11-17, 2026, as the Week of the Young Child. - It commends educators, families, and organizations that help ensure access to high-quality early learning. - It encourages citizens, communities, and policymakers to support programs that benefit young children and families. - It directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available for public and press distribution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-25) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-25) - Sponsors: Ed Harbison, Michael Rhett, Elena Parent, Nan Orrock, Sally Harrell, David Lucas, Jaha Howard - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74343 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1017.md?full=1