ATLANTA — For Atlanta PD Sergeant Michael Smith, a 14-year department veteran, a subsidized childcare initiative has made it easier to balance work and parenting responsibilities, according to a news release from the Atlanta Police Foundation.
Smith is one of many officers participating in the Childcare Incentive Program, or CHIP, according to the release. Launched by the Atlanta Police Foundation, the initiative subsidizes childcare for full-time sworn APD employees in good standing who have children between the ages of 0 and 5.
“The cost of childcare makes you want to avoid doing it,” Smith said. “Before the program, I faced real cost challenges because of how expensive it was.”
Through CHIP, officers are matched with licensed, quality-rated childcare providers across Georgia. For Smith, the financial relief has allowed him to spend more time at home, rather than picking up extra shifts to cover childcare costs.
The initiative was a part of a joint pilot program between the city and the foundation, which was judged to be successful enough to continue the program, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. The foundation has raised more than $200,000 to support the program so far.
The second phase of the program will also allow officers who live outside city limits to participate. Officers can receive up to $400 per month, depending on their rank. Fifty-three officers currently participate in the program, with more expansions possible depending on available funding.
The program has been lauded as a key recruitment and retention tool for the APD, according to the report.
More information about the Childcare Incentive Program is available on the Atlanta Police Foundation’s website.
