SR 456: Week of the Young Child; recognize April 5-11

This resolution does not change any Georgia law. Instead, the Senate uses it to formally recognize April 5-11 as the Week of the Young Child, a symbolic designation honoring early childhood educators and the importance of early learning. The resolution's whereas clauses describe how early childhood experiences shape brain development and future learning, and note that low pay and insufficient funding make it hard to retain qualified early childhood educators. It closes by directing the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to community members involved in early childhood education.

• Formally recognizes April 5-11 as the Week of the Young Child through a Senate resolution.
• States the Senate's recognition of the work done by early childhood educators without creating any new legal requirement.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies of the resolution available to Week of the Young Child community members and other parties.

Early childhood educators, childcare providers, and families with young children in Georgia are the groups named in the resolution's language, though the measure creates no binding obligations on them or on any state agency.

Because this is a resolution rather than a law, it has no direct legal or funding effect on Georgians. Its practical significance is symbolic: it publicly acknowledges the challenges facing early childhood educators and childcare access described in the text.

• The whereas clauses describe the importance of early childhood brain development and high-quality early care for children's outcomes.
• The whereas clauses note that current tuition and subsidy rates are often insufficient to support qualified educators and low child-to-educator ratios.
• The resolving clause designates April 5-11 as the Week of the Young Child and recognizes early childhood educators' work.
• The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to relevant community members.

1. 2025-03-27Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-03-25Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Ed Harbison (D, SD-15)Primary sponsor

• early childhood education
• childcare
• Georgia Senate resolutions
• education workforce