Georgia Watch and Partners Host Financial Protection Summit

Georgia Watch and the Georgia Financial Protection Coalition (GFPC) hosted the 2026 Consumer Financial Protection and Economic Opportunity Summit on October 21 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Atlanta. The event brought together advocates, community leaders, financial institutions, policymakers, and national partners to examine the evolving landscape in Georgia.

Presenters explored state policy priorities and advocacy opportunities, lessons from other states, federal regulatory developments, and how state and federal authority can shape Georgia’s ability to strengthen consumer protections. Participants also discussed emerging financial products and practices—including cryptocurrency kiosks, Earned Wage Access apps, and Buy Now, Pay Later loans—and their potential impact on consumers.

The Summit also highlighted opportunities for stronger collaboration with national partners, including the Consumer Federation of America, National Consumer Law Center, AARP, and Center for Responsible Lending, to strengthen advocacy, share resources, and advance a safer and more equitable financial system for Georgians.

Advancing Sustainable Funding Strategies for Georgia’s CHW Workforce

On October 16, Georgia Watch convened Community Health Workers (CHWs), healthcare leaders, policymakers, advocates, community-based organizations, funders, and other key partners for a focused discussion on the current CHW landscape in Georgia and opportunities to strengthen long-term funding and sustainability.

The convening provided participants with an opportunity to learn from subject-matter experts and one another while exploring and identifying sustainable funding avenues and financing approaches. Participants also discussed opportunities to improve coordination across sectors and build stronger partnerships among organizations that employ, fund, support, and work alongside CHWs.

By bringing together stakeholders from across Georgia’s healthcare and community ecosystem, we sought to move the conversation toward practical strategies and shared solutions that can support the long-term sustainability of the CHW workforce. The convening underscored the importance of continued cross-sector collaboration, diversified funding approaches, and organizational practices that enable CHWs to remain a strong and sustainable part of Georgia’s health and community infrastructure.

Organizing For Maternal Health Equity

This month, Georgia Watch partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine Center for Maternal Health Equity, Emory University’s Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence, Georgia State School of Public Health, University of Georgia, and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia to host our fourth annual Maternal and Child Health Policy Workshop.

Students worked in interdisciplinary teams, led by community partners, to analyze real-world maternal health data and propose evidence-based policy solutions. Those solutions were then crafted into a policy pitch and presented to a legislative panel for feedback.

Thank you to our incredible community partners for mentoring the student teams throughout the workshop. We are excited to continue this initiative as part of our broader efforts to support maternal and child health equity across the state.

Sharing Strategies to Advance Consumer Advocacy

Georgia Watch Executive Director Liz Coyle joined a panel discussion moderated by our Board Member Berneta Haynes on finding advocacy wins in red states at National Consumer Law Center's 2026 Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Atlanta.

The conference brought together consumer attorneys and advocates to share strategies for protecting consumers, with sessions covering debt collection reforms, tenant rights, student loan repayment, state-level advocacy, and many others.

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