Quality Care for Children (QCC), an Atlanta-based nonprofit working to improve accessibility and the quality of child care programs across Georgia, will bring together Georgia’s education, business and community leaders at its 2026 Early Start Breakfast to focus on early literacy and why it is critical to children’s success in school and the state’s long-term future. This year’s Early Start Breakfast takes place on Wednesday, April 29, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at The Dogwood at Westside Paper.

“Too many children in Georgia enter kindergarten without the language-rich experiences that prepare them for reading and learning, and that gap can shape their entire educational journey,” said Ellyn Cochran, president and chief executive officer of Quality Care for Children.

“From birth, children develop through responsive ‘serve and return’ interactions and intentional exposure to language –experiences that build the foundation for early literacy and school readiness. When we invest in high-quality early environments and support families and early learning educators, we help ensure every child arrives at school ready to read, learn, and thrive.

QCC will welcome nationally recognized early childhood educator, author of  “The Daycare Myth,” and policy expert Dan Wuori for a featured one-on-one conversation with former WSB- TV anchor and Exit Wealth Chief Executive Officer Justin Farmer followed by a panel of learning experts focused on advancing early literacy. The discussion comes as data highlights ongoing literacy challenges in Georgia, where only about 38% of third graders read proficiently on the state’s Milestones assessment, reinforcing the importance of investing in early literacy development before children ever enter kindergarten.

The panel includes:
-Dr. Ryan Lee-James, Chief Academic Officer and Director, Rollins Center for
Language and Literacy at the Atlanta Speech School
-Dan Wuori, Founder and President, Early Childhood Policy Solutions

-Samantha Mullins, Early Childhood Educator with Our House, Inc. and the 2024-2025

Georgia Early Childhood Educator of the Year in the preschool category, named by Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) and the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning

This year’s Early Education Architect Award will be presented to Mindy Binderman, founding executive director of GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students and a longtime advocate for policies that support young children, families, and early educators across Georgia.

For more information regarding the Early Start Breakfast or to purchase tickets, please visit www.qualitycareforchildren.org/earlystartbreakfast.