Closing Date: June 12, 2026

Intern Dates: August 2026 through December 2026

Pay Rate: The Hourly pay rates are based on the following:

Current Undergraduate Student: $14.00

Current Graduate Student: $16.00

Positions Available: 1

Hours: Minimum of 20 hours per week – up to but not to exceed 29 hours per week.

*Maximum of 29 hours per week cannot be exceeded.

Location: 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE. Suite 754 East Tower Atlanta, GA

Agency Overview

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is responsible for meeting the childcare and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families. It administers the nationally recognized Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses childcare centers and home-based childcare, administers Georgia's Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia’s community powered childcare rating system.

The department also houses the Head Start State Collaboration Office, distributes federal funding to enhance the quality and availability of childcare, and works collaboratively with Georgia childcare resource and referral agencies and organizations throughout the state to enhance early care and education.

Position Overview

We are seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized HR Intern to support our Human Resources team with a focus on Family and Medical Leave (FML) administration. This internship offers hands-on experience in leave management, employee support, and HR compliance processes. The intern will assist in coordinating leave cases, maintaining records, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and company policies.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the administration of Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) and other leave programs (e.g., ADA, parental leave, short-term disability)

• Support intake and tracking of leave requests, including documentation and status updates

• Maintain accurate and confidential employee records in HR systems

• Help prepare and distribute leave-related communications and correspondence

• Monitor deadlines and follow up with employees and managers on required documentation

• Attend job fairs at local universities.

• Assist with coordinating the Intern program for other Divisions in the agency.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or a related field

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook); familiarity with workday HRIS system is a plus

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Interest in employment law, compliance, and HR operations

• Analytical mindset with problem-solving abilities

• Strong customer service orientation

Physical Requirements and Performance Aptitudes:

• • Requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading and visual inspection.

• • Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification.

• • Requires the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication.

• • Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.

• Occasional bending and lifting up to 15 lbs.

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer. A background check will be completed upon hire, which may consist of any of the following: criminal history, credit history, employment history, educational records, IRS records, and driving records.

If you are an individual with a disability who may require assistance or other reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the selection process for this position, you may contact our HR department at 678-879-2993. Due to the volume of submissions received by this office, information concerning application or interview status cannot be provided in writing, over the phone, or in person. All applicants who submit a complete application package will be considered but may not necessarily receive notification or an interview. The job posting may be subject to being closed at any time without notice. Only those qualified candidates who are selected for an interview shall receive notification upon the filling of this vacancy.

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer.