Quality Funds Awarded to Delaware for Infant and Toddler Care

Building on recent state efforts to strengthen early learning support, Delaware earned $5.5 million dollars last week from a federal Early Head Start grant opportunity to help support high quality, comprehensive services for infants and toddlers from low income families, over 5-years. This effort builds on recent investments in Delaware’s early learning system, including leveraging the Early Learning Challenge, investment at the state level, and strong commitments by many stakeholders.

The case for these investments is clear: almost 90% of brain development occurs before age five, and long term studies have found a range of $4-$9 in returns for every dollar invested in high-quality early learning programs for low-income children. We know learning begins at birth, and achievement gaps have been documented as early as nine months.

Through the Early Head Start grant more comprehensive services will be available for families who qualify for the federal Head Start early childhood program. Initial services, beginning in January 2015, will increase services for 72 children, providing opportunities for children in all three counties. Funding will support infants and toddlers in full day, year-round programs with comprehensive services that include health and developmental screening, expanded family engagement opportunities and health and nutrition services.

In addition to direct services for children, the grant will provide greater opportunities for professional development and site-based technical assistance for staff who work with infants and toddlers. This will build on the announcement Governor Markell made in February committing additional funding for high-quality programs serving the state’s youngest students, including additional resources to programs serving infants.

Delaware has made significant improvements in early learning over the last three years, and we are confident we can achieve even greater outcomes for children by leveraging these types of investments—especially as we continue to engage many partners to achieve this success.