Quality Care for Children Adds a Canton Afterschool Program for At-Risk Children to It's Child Care and Adult Care Food Program

Participation in a Quality Afterschool Program Assists Children in Improving Daily School Attendance, Behavior and Grades 

Quality Care for Children (QCC), a non-profit organization working to improve accessibility and quality of child care programs across Georgia, today announced it was adding a Canton, Ga. (Cherokee County) afterschool program for at-risk children to its federally funded U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).  The CACFP provides meals and snacks to all children enrolled in the programs at no separate charge, helping to provide them with regular and nutritious meals daily at their afterschool program.  QCC sponsors seven child care centers and two afterschool programs, providing daily meals and snacks to more than 300 children across Georgia.

The new program being sponsored by Quality Care for Children is:

Feed the Kids (dba Hearthstone Landing Breakout ASP)

100 Hearthstone Landing Drive

Canton, GA 30114

“Georgia has more than one million school-aged children who spend the hours from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. unsupervised each day,” said Quality Care for Children’s Chief Executive Officer Pam Tatum.  “For low-income, at-risk children, these are important hours where they could be in a program that provides a daily snack and/or meal along with some mentoring and tutoring, helping them be more motivated to be at school each day and ready to learn.”

Parents seeking an afterschool program can utilize Quality Care for Children’s 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS (877-255-4254) or www.AllGaKids.org free resource to find a high-quality program in their area that fits their needs.  An All Georgia Kids app is also available for free download from iTunes.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program was established in 1968 by Congress to ensure children in licensed or approved daycare centers, settlement houses, and recreation centers were receiving nutritious meals. Approximately 20 years later, following the passage of the Older American Act, new amendments allowed for participation by select adult day care centers which initiated the name change to its current Child and Adult Care Food Program name.  Ten years later, the program was further updated to allow for “at-risk” afterschool programs and shelters housing homeless children to participate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or if all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Child Nutrition Programs – Income Eligibility Guidelines for Free and Reduced-Price Meals are used to determine the rate that the center will be reimbursed for meals served in this program.

For more information regarding QCC’s sponsorship of Child and Adult Care Food Programs, please contact Reynaldo Green, Vice President of Health and Nutrition, at 404-479-4251.

About Quality Care for Children:

Quality Care for Children (QCC) is Georgia’s leader in equipping parents and child care providers with the tools they need to receive and provide high quality, affordable child care so that all children have access to superior early learning experiences and are ready for school.  The non-profit organization launched 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS (877-255-4254) in 2009, providing Georgians with one source for finding the best quality child care to fit their needs.  1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS (877-255-4254) is funded in part by Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.  Please visit www.QualityCareforChildren.org or call (404) 479-4200 for more information.