True Cost of Quality Early Learning Exceeds State Rate Twice Over
In 2021, Delaware committed to changing how it calculates payment rates for Purchase of Care, the state subsidy that helps cover child care tuition for low-income families—moving from the market rate to the “cost of care” methodology. The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Department of Education (DOE) have been...
Two Children for Every Available Seat: Delaware’s Unmet Child Care Demand
Affordable, accessible child care is a foundational necessity for supporting families and the economy.
But statewide data has showed us that as many as 80 percent of Delaware parents and caregivers are holding back from advancing their careers, pursuing education, or buying a home because they cannot access or afford child care. What...
New Bills Target Child Safety
As we wrote in March, a handful of tragic incidents across the state have shone a spotlight on child safety and abuse risks at child care centers. Health and safety complaints to the Office of Child Care Licensing are up 30 percent over the last year, according to the Department of Education, which oversees child care licensing.
In...
Early Literacy Efforts Remain Front and Center in Delaware
Delaware continues to focus on early literacy, a critical benchmark for a child’s educational development, and an area where Delaware (along with most of the nation) has declined in recent years. Recent focus has been on the NAEP scores, which have put Delaware below most other states and well below some of our neighbors, and with one of...