Find Help by Calling 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373)
Parenting is hard work, and all caregivers can use a little help to get through the tough parts. It takes parents, caregivers, and RESOURCES to help children thrive.
1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373) is a free statewide helpline that connects parents, caregivers, and professionals with the help they need wherever they live in Georgia. Callers speak with a trained resource navigators who care and want to help!
“Whoever I spoke with was kind, sweet, patient, professional and willing to help. I was in a crisis and needed immediate help for my granddaughter and the helpline was there for me.”
-GA Mother
“I was drowning and the helpline rep gave me what I needed to keep swimming. I couldn’t even think when I called but rep’s patience, calmness and knowledge was extremely helpful.” GA Mom
“It really helped me to figure out the next steps and actions to take.”
–GA Dad
Find Help by Searching Online
Find help and supportive programs near you on the interactive online map! This tool contains over 3,000 organizations and programs around the state that support families.
Use it as your community’s resources guide-
Add a resource online or upload your current community resources below. We will make sure they are up-to-date every 6 months! Families, caregivers, and professional in your area will be able to access them through our online resources map or by calling to speak to one of our resource navigators!
Help Us Promote the Helpline with these FREE RESOURCES!
We encouraged everyone to help add to our resource database and promote the 1-800-CHILDREN Helpline and Resource Map among parents, caregivers, early care and education providers, and other child and family-serving professionals. As family-serving professionals, you know caregivers are often in complex situations and need professional and community support.
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- Encourage families you serve to call the 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373) Helpline to talk to trained professionals who will connect them with supportive programs.
- USE the online 1-800-CHILDREN Resource Map, which contains over 3,000 local and statewide programs designed to assist and support families. See what services are available AND add more you know are missing.
- Print flyers (half page, prints on 8.5” x 11”) for your organization, request mailed materials, and more. Encourage families to use this FREE helpline.
- Post the 1-800-CHILDREN phone number (1-800-244-5373) and link the resource map to your website for parents and professions to use, www.PCAGeorgiaHelpline.org.
Partners are encouraged to use the content of this marketing kit to promote PCA Georgia’s 1-800-CHILDREN Helpline and Resource Map among parents, caregivers, early care and education providers, and other child and family serving professionals.
Download and Post Promotional Tools
- Social Media/Online Images and Content (to customize, email [email protected])
- Printable flyer (Spanish)
- PowerPoint slide (Spanish)
- Printable Posters– 11″ x 17″ (for professionals and parents) or request rack cards to be mailed to you, email [email protected]
- PCA Georgia’s Online Store provides more options to purchase child abuse prevention promotional materials
The Helpline Is:
- Toll Free
- A safe place to discuss options
- Open Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Professionally staffed
- Bilingual (Spanish/English)
- A source of information
The Helpline Is NOT:
- A hotline or crisis line
- A function of DFCS
- Where child abuse reports are taken
Why people call:
- Parenting support
- Counseling and support groups
- Referrals for legal needs
- Grandparent issues
- Child abuse and prevention information
- Concern about well-being of a child or family member
- Family violence concerns
- Community resources for emergency assistance
- Resources for special needs children
The Helpline is for:
- Parents, Grandparents, Kin and/or Foster Parents
- Survivors of Abuse
- Youth
- Friends or Relatives
- Crime Victims
- Faith Communities
Helpline Evaluation
For the fiscal year June 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020, 161 people completed the helpline evaluation.
Survey Results:
- 85% were very satisfied or satisfied with their helpline experience
- 48% felt like their needs were met
- 88% would call the helpline again if needed
- 91% would recommend the helpline to another parent, caregiver, or professional
The pandemic has presented a wide array of challenges, one of the hardest being housing security. Protections have been put in place to support both renters and homeowners. The CDC issued another rent moratorium extension, starting August 3 and lasting through October 3. And although the foreclosure moratorium has been lifted, homeowners with federally backed loans can still receive pandemic forbearance protections until September 30, 2021.
Rent, mortgages, and utilities have all presented barriers to feeling safe and secure in one’s home, especially as layoffs and pay cuts accumulate. Yet, few are aware that there are many resources available to help cover such costs and help restore the sense of security in your home. Below are a few available options for renters, homeowners, and landlords to help make it through these unprecedented times.
Georgia Housing Quick Resource Guide
Housing: Where Do We Start Webinar
• Identify housing resources to best support families
• Understand how they can advocate to improve housing stability and conditions
• Be aware of state and national policies and initiatives to stay informed and learn more
Here in Georgia:
The Georgia Rental Assistance Program: If you’re a Georgia renter or landlord and have outstanding balances, this program can help you get back on track. Using the $552 million from the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Emergency Rental Assistance program, Georgia is able to provide relief to individuals, families, and landlords whose financial stability has been negatively impacted due to Covid-19. Those who qualify can receive up to 12 months of payment relief for past-due rent and utility payments. Some requirements include: qualifying for unemployment or proof of financial hardship due to Covid-19; a risk of homelessness or housing instability; and a household income at or below 80% of the área median income.
The Atlanta Covid-19 Emergency Housing Assistance Program: This program is available to incorporated City of Atlanta residents and renters who have experienced a loss of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The program received $13.68 million in funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Funds that is administered through the United Way of Greater Atlanta, which collaborates with local nonprofits to disperse the funds into the community. Eligible and approved recipients can use the financial assistance for rent, rent arrears, security deposits, utilities, internet, water, sewer, and trash removal. The ultimate goal of this program is to provide support for gaps that renters in the Atlanta area may be experiencing.
The Tenant-Landlord Assistance Coalition: The Tenant-Landlord Assistance Coalition is a collaboration between public and nonprofit partners that provide financial relief to DeKalb renters that are threatened by eviction and for landlords that are facing revenue losses that are both due to the direct and indirect effects of Covid-19. The program is designed to assist eligible households that have an annual family income of 80% of the median income for DeKalb County. The program helps families pay for rent, utilities such as water, electricity, sewer, trash, and natural gas, and other incurred housing costs.
Fulton County Emergency Rental Assistance: For Fulton County residents that live outside the city of Atlanta, this program can help renters receive financial assistance for things like rent, water, gas, and power bills that have resulted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Residents who qualify for unemployment, are at risk of homelessness or housing instability, or make at or below 80% of the área median income also qualify for assistance. Additionally, households suffering unemployment for 90 days or more, make below 50% of the area median income, or have documented eviction will be prioritized.
State Home Mortgage: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act stipulates that any borrower that has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, regardless of delinquency, is entitled to a forbearance plan in order to make paying a mortgage more accessible. A forbearance plan allows a temporary suspension or reduction of your mortgage payments for a specific period of time, especially during hardship. At the end of forbearance, you can: a) pay the total amount due, b) enter into a verbal Informal Forbearance Agreement to bring your loan current, or c) complete a full Loss Mitigation Package to be reviewed for options based on your income at that time. With a forbearance plan, you are able to have some financial breathing room.
To find other state and local resources, visit the links below:
Georgia Legal Aid: Georgia Covid-19 Resource List
Georgia Rent Assistance: Rent Assistance Programs in Georgia
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Rental Assistance Programs By State and County
“PCA Georgia is supported in part by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CFDA 93.590). Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CFDA 93.590).”
The Helpline is funded in part by VOCA Sub-Award C15-8-358, administered by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and awarded by the Office for Victims for Crime.
Contact Us
Address
| Physical: | 14 Marietta NW, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30303 |
| Mailing: | P.O. Box 3995 Atlanta, GA 30302 |