State Profile | Delaware

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds supported the development of a school age credential program, which includes a formal education component of nine college credits and a competency demonstration using the environmental rating scale for school age children (SACERS).  Scholarships for providers are provided through the T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) program.

Other quality activities:
Funds may be used for comprehensive consumer education, grants or loans to providers to assist in meeting state and local standards, and to monitor licensing and regulatory requirements. They can also be used for professional development, improving childcare providers’ salaries, activities promoting inclusive childcare, activities which increase parental choice, and for youth focused health programs.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
The tiered reimbursement system pilot program, Delaware Stars, includes a plan for financial incentives. Strategic supports will be required to assist programs in reaching the higher levels of quality which would allow them to receive financial rewards.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

Exemptions apply to programs operated by any school that provides regular and thorough instruction through at least the 6th grade and reports to the State Board of Education.

Systems/Quality Supports

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• Child Care Capacity Building Grants. The goal of this program is to increase the supply of child care, including school-age care, in the state. Providers across the state who serve low-income children are eligible to apply for grants. This program is funded by the Delaware Division of Social Services and administered by Children & Families First, Delaware’s statewide resource and referral network. A total of 59 providers received funding in 2007-2008, with grants totaling $156,000.

  For more information, see: http://www.familyandworkplace.org/providers/provider.capacity.asp

• Extra Time. The Delaware Department of Education uses state funds to provide extra instructional time for low-achieving students in the following content areas: mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies. The program is designed to help students meet state educational standards.
• Delaware Prevention Network. The Delaware Prevention Network, a program focusing on wellness through prevention of substance abuse and violence, operates in school-age programs throughout the state. Students are taught self-awareness and social skills that provide a strong defense against risk factors. The program is funded through federal substance abuse prevention grants and the state Office of Prevention and Early Intervention.
• Delaware Stars for Early Success.  Delaware Stars for Early Success is a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), used to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education and school-age settings. Delaware Stars for Early Success has a separate set of quality standards specifically for school-age programs.

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Pegasus ArtWorks. Started in 2002, Pegasus ArtWorks is a pilot program offering ongoing arts instruction for Greater Newark Boys and Girls Club members ages 12 to 15. The goal of Pegasus ArtWorks is to provide opportunities for youth to exercise their creative potential and to help at-risk youth become responsible, contributing members of the community. Early evaluation indicates that participation in the program has resulted in improved behavior, academic performance, self esteem, and communication. Pegasus ArtWorks is a joint partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts-National Endowment for the Arts with support from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Criminal Justice Council, the Laffey McHugh Foundation, and the MetLife YouthArts Initiative.
• Delaware Future. Delaware Future, a non-profit organization in Wilmington, provides educational, social, and motivational support to help disadvantaged high school students become successful college applicants. Students enrolled in Delaware Futures participate in a variety of enrichment activities throughout high school. Upon graduation, students who meet the academic requirements qualify for partial or full tuition scholarships to one of a number of partner colleges. Volunteer tutors assist students during weekly afterschool homework sessions. The program also requires all students to participate in community service activities and internships, which foster positive motivation for academic achievement.

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

Delaware AfterSchool Alliance (DEASA)
The Family and Workplace Connection, a division of Children & Families First
3511 Silverside Road, Suite 100
Wilmington, DE 19810
Phone: 302-479-1664
Fax: 302-479-1693
Web: www.familyandworkplace.org/providers/deasalliance.asp

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

The Family and Workplace Connection, a division of Children & Families First
3511 Silverside Road, Suite 100
Wilmington, DE 19810
Phone: 302-479-1679
Fax: 302-479-1693
Web: www.familyandworkplace.org

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project's State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.