How to Use GaPDS: Log In and Register Your DECAL Training Hours
GaPDS is where Georgia DECAL tracks your annual training. Here is how to log in, read your profile, and make sure every Bright from the Start hour actually posts toward your 10-hour requirement.
How to Use GaPDS: Log In and Register Your DECAL Training Hours
Short answer (Georgia): GaPDS — the Georgia Professional Development System — is the official registry that Georgia DECAL (Bright from the Start) uses to track every early childhood educator's training. You log in at gapds.decal.ga.gov with the account tied to your DECAL PIN. When you complete training with a DECAL-approved trainer, the hours post to your GaPDS profile as Bright from the Start (BFTS) credits, building toward the 10 clock hours Georgia requires each January–December cycle.
What is GaPDS?
GaPDS stands for the Georgia Professional Development System. It is the workforce registry run by DECAL (the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning) under its Bright from the Start (BFTS) program. Every licensed child care employee in Georgia has a GaPDS record, identified by a unique DECAL PIN (Personal Identification Number). Your GaPDS profile is where the state — and your director — can verify that you have met the annual training requirement.
Think of GaPDS as three things in one place:
- Your identity in the system — your DECAL PIN and professional profile.
- Your training transcript — every approved training hour you have earned, shown as BFTS credits.
- Your compliance status — a running total against the 10 hours Georgia expects each year.
How to log in to GaPDS
- Go to gapds.decal.ga.gov.
- Sign in with the email and password attached to your DECAL PIN. If it is your first time, create an account and link it to your existing PIN so your history follows you.
- If you have forgotten which PIN is yours, use the account-recovery link or ask your director — every employee has exactly one PIN, and duplicate accounts are the most common reason hours "disappear."
- Once inside, open your profile to confirm your name, employer, and role are current, then open your training transcript to see recorded hours.
How your 10 DECAL hours get recorded
Georgia requires 10 clock hours of approved training per year for licensed child care staff, on a January–December cycle. Here is what that looks like in GaPDS:
| What GaPDS tracks | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual requirement | 10 clock hours per calendar year |
| How hours appear | As Bright from the Start (BFTS) credits on your transcript |
| Who can grant them | A DECAL Approved Trainer or an Approved Sponsor Organization (ASO) |
| Verification | Your director and DECAL read your GaPDS transcript directly |
When you finish an approved session, the trainer submits your completion and the credits flow to your GaPDS profile — usually within a few business days.
Make sure your training actually counts
This is where educators lose hours: only training delivered through a DECAL Approved Trainer or an Approved Sponsor Organization posts as BFTS credits in GaPDS. A generic webinar with a certificate may not appear on your transcript at all.
Camille Hampton is a DECAL-approved trainer, so her sessions count directly toward your Georgia hours and post as BFTS credits. See the full breakdown on the Georgia certification page, and if you want to cover your whole year at once, the annual DECAL packs bundle all 10 hours into a single, certificate-included purchase.
Quick troubleshooting
- Hours not showing? Confirm the trainer used the same DECAL PIN that is on your GaPDS account, and check for a duplicate profile.
- Two accounts? Contact DECAL to merge them so your full history counts.
- New job? Update your employer in your profile so your director can see your hours.
Frequently asked questions
- What is GaPDS and who runs it?
- GaPDS is the Georgia Professional Development System, the workforce registry run by DECAL (the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning) under its Bright from the Start program. It tracks each educator's training hours as BFTS credits.
- How do I log in to GaPDS?
- Go to gapds.decal.ga.gov and sign in with the email and password linked to your DECAL PIN. First-time users create an account and connect it to their existing PIN so their training history carries over.
- Why aren't my training hours showing in GaPDS?
- The most common causes are a duplicate account, a trainer submitting under the wrong DECAL PIN, or training that was not delivered by a DECAL Approved Trainer or Approved Sponsor Organization. Only approved training posts as BFTS credits.
- How many training hours does Georgia require each year?
- Licensed Georgia child care staff need 10 clock hours of DECAL-approved training per January–December cycle. Directors and some roles may have additional requirements.
- Do Camille's trainings post to my GaPDS profile?
- Yes. Camille is a DECAL-approved trainer, so her sessions count toward your Georgia requirement and post to your GaPDS transcript as Bright from the Start (BFTS) credits.