Delaware State University will receive $30.6 million over the next five years to establish an Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIE) as part of his initiative to use $120 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support Delaware’s childcare industry and childcare professionals.
Other childcare grants
- $24 million for the Child Care Stabilization grants to help childcare providers statewide remain open and operating. This investment is in addition to the $66 million in Rescue Fund funding that already has been distributed through these stabilization grants.
- $10.6 million in direct financial relief for Delaware childcare workers.
“This new funding from the American Rescue Plan will support childcare providers, help providers keep their doors open, and help them attract and retain staff,” Gov. John Carney said. “We’re excited about our new partnership at Delaware State University, which will build on workforce development efforts statewide to support current and future early childhood staff.”
Under terms of the partnership, Delaware State will develop statewide infrastructure for a pathway for Delawareans seeking careers in the childcare industry. The funding will also expand scholarship opportunities to support working professionals who are seeking additional education, a release stated.
“Although progress has been made over the past decade, we know that about a third of Delaware’s children are not kindergarten ready due to a number of factors including child poverty; food and housing insecurities; domestic violence and other trauma; and lack of access to quality health care,” said Dr. Shelley Rouser, chairperson of DSU’s Education Department. “The teachers and caregivers they encounter have to be aware of these challenges and prepared with the skills to overcome them.”
The partnership was announced by Carney at a media event on the Delaware State University campus. Also in attendance were Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, state DOE Secretary Susan Bunting, DSU President Tony Allen, and other university and state officials well as child care providers from all three counties.
The DSU center will provide additional professional credentials and career advancement opportunities for those employed in the caring and education of pre-kindergarten children. Delaware State University will serve as the hub for this initiative. It will develop the scholarship program to provide financial support to those striving to advance as early childhood education providers.
University President Tony Allen noted that early childhood experiences are critical to the educational success of all children, especially those of color and/or living in poverty. “As a longtime advocate for education reform, I am thrilled to see the state taking this decisive step to address the issue,” Dr. Allen said. “At the same time, I am humbled at the trust placed in Delaware State University but equally confident that we will deliver for families across Delaware.”
The $120 million Delaware is receiving from ARPA funding is the result of f legislation that was signed on March 11 by President Joe Biden and supported in Congress by members of Delaware’s federal delegation – Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.
“We are a workforce of primarily women, primarily BIWOC (Black, indigenous, and women of color), many of whom are mothers and many of whom rely on government subsidy programs because they make just over minimum wage. There are rarely benefits, there is rarely paid time off, and it’s a highly-skilled workforce that is responsible for creating the social, emotional and educational foundation children need to not only be successful in academics but all areas of life,” said Jamie Schneider, Executive Director of Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children (DAEYC). “I am confident that we can elevate early care and education in Delaware to be a national example of how to solve the childcare crisis. We must continue to work in partnership to make sure families in Delaware feel secure in going to work each day knowing their children are in high-quality developmentally appropriate childcare.”
Carney and state officials have announced other initiatives funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
- Plans to invest $26.4 million in affordable housing in Wilmington, $50 million for jobs training programs statewide, and $50 million to build a modern Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill in Smyrna.
- A $110 million plan to provide universal, wired broadband access for all Delaware homes and businesses. Delaware aims to become the first state to close every “last mile” with wired, high-speed broadband.
- A $100 million Community Investment Recovery Fund to support major, nonprofit capital projects statewide and workforce funding for Delaware hospitals and long-term care facilities.
