How help for families and kids works in AtlantaA short guide: who to call first and what to expect.
For child care you can afford, call 877-255-4254. It is a free state line that finds licensed child care near you and explains the help that pays for it. Georgia's child care help is called CAPS. More families ask for it than it has money for, so apply early at gateway.ga.gov and ask whether your family is in a priority group. Quality Care for Children can walk you through it. See child care.
For 4-year-olds, Georgia's Pre-K is free for every child who turns 4 by September 1, whatever your income. Spots are limited and sign-up starts in late winter, so ask the schools and centers near you early. Head Start is free preschool for families with low income, and Early Head Start takes babies and toddlers.
For formula, baby food and diapers, WIC covers food and formula if you are pregnant or have a child under 5. Call 800-228-9173. Diaper banks such as Helping Mamas give through clinics, schools and nonprofits, so ask at a place you already go.
If parenting feels like too much, call 800-244-5373 on a weekday. It is a free Georgia helpline for parents, and the person who answers finds support near you. See parenting support.
If you worry about how your child is growing or talking, ask for a free check. Babies Can't Wait serves children under 3, and your public school district serves children 3 and older.
If a child is being hurt, call 855-422-4453 any time. In an emergency call 911.
This is the Fulton County office of the Georgia Division of Child Support Services. It helps parents and caregivers open a child support case, establish paternity, set up or change support orders, and collect payments. Since August 1, 2025, in-person help for this office is given at the Fulton County DHS office on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway in Atlanta instead of the East Point address.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta matches kids ages 8 to 16 with adult volunteer mentors for one-to-one friendship. Each pair gets help from a staff support specialist. The program is free to families and volunteers.
Sheltering Arms East Lake Center is a nonprofit early childhood center in Atlanta that offers Early Head Start, Head Start, Georgia's Pre-K, and full-day child care for infants through school-age children. The center serves working families, provides free meals, and offers summer camp and before/after-school care for older kids.
Gate City Day Nursery Association has cared for and taught children from birth to Pre-K in Atlanta since 1905. Its centers are open all day, all year, on weekdays. It also offers after-school care, a summer program, and support for families.
The Georgia Department of Public Health is the state health agency. Its programs include vaccines and immunization records, birth and death certificates, WIC, home visits for pregnant women and babies, and dental care for children. Many services run through local county health offices.
This early learning center sits inside the YMCA of Metro Atlanta's headquarters on the Westside and serves babies through school-age kids from the Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods. It offers Head Start, Georgia's Pre-K, and fee-based preschool, so families can enroll for free or pay based on the program that fits them, with meals included. The goal is to get children from the community ready for kindergarten.
Whitefoord is a nonprofit in southeast Atlanta that runs the Whitefoord Early Learning Academy. The Academy offers childcare and early education for children from 6 weeks old through Pre-K. Tuition is on a sliding-fee scale, and payment plans are available for families who qualify.
This is the DeKalb County office of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. It handles community-based work for young people in the juvenile justice system, such as intake, case management, and probation. The state agency also runs mental health, substance use, victim, and volunteer programs.
This is an after-school club for kids ages 10 to 14 who go to Price Middle School. It gives kids help with schoolwork, healthy habits, and leadership. Kids can also join clubs like robotics, cooking and gardening, and fine arts.
This is the Center for a New Generation club at the Tuskegee Airmen Global Academy, part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. Kids and teens come after school for activities like homework help, reading, STEM, music, art, chess, and cooking and gardening. The club also has a summer camp, and families who cannot pay can ask about help with fees.
This is a YMCA center in Atlanta for kids and teens. It has a gym, an outdoor pool, a teen center, and a cyber café. It offers afterschool care, camps, sports, and teen programs for families in East Atlanta, East Lake, Kirkwood, Oakhurst, and South DeKalb.
Destined for Greatness Outreach Youth Center is a nonprofit that works with young people in the Atlanta area. Its main program matches kids in elementary, middle and high school with volunteer mentors. It also holds monthly group activities and looks for volunteers.
Georgia Parent Support Network is a family-run nonprofit started in 1989. It supports children and youth with mental health and behavior needs, and their families. It runs Youth MOVE Georgia, a peer group for young people, along with a young adult peer center, therapeutic foster care, and peer specialist training.
Forever Family helps children in Georgia who have a parent in prison or jail. They take kids on chaperoned trips to visit their mothers in prison. They also give travel vouchers for visits with fathers, and offer programs for children and caregivers.
) is a nonprofit based in Riverdale, GA. It offers mentoring and free workshops for youth who are at risk and for foster children. It also has a six-week leadership program, free journals, and ways to volunteer.
This is the city government website for College Park, Georgia. It shares city news, public meeting dates, and events. It also lets people sign up for emergency alerts and make a website account.
New Life Community Alliance helps neighbors in South DeKalb with food, clothing, free haircuts and hair styling, GED classes, job help, and case management. It also helps people behind on rent or utility bills. Most help starts with a phone call.
Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta is a nonprofit that helps girls in kindergarten through 12th grade build confidence, leadership, and life skills through troop activities, badges, and outdoor adventures. Girls can join local troops, attend summer camps at council camps like Camp Timber Ridge and Camp Meriwether, and take part in the Girl Scout Cookie Program to learn entrepreneurship and money skills. Families who need help paying for membership, uniforms, or camp can apply for financial assistance.
Little Debbie's Second Chance Home gives teen girls and boys who have nowhere safe to live, along with teen parents and their babies, a structured home in Decatur. Staff offer counseling, parenting classes, GED preparation, job readiness, and independent living skills to help young people build a stable future.
This is the Clarkston child development center of Easterseals North Georgia. It cares for and teaches children from 6 weeks to 5 years old, and it is free for families who qualify by income. Staff also support families and offer help with children's mental health and autism needs.
