Grant will help Delaware support high-risk youth and families in Wilmington, and bolster work of Family Services Cabinet Council

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Wednesday that Delaware has received an 18-month training and technical assistance grant from the University of Pennsylvania’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) Integrated Data System Learning Community to help develop an integrated data system across state agencies.

The system will help Delaware coordinate services and support young people and families in Wilmington who are at high risk of violence, and bolster the ongoing work of the Family Services Cabinet Council. Delaware was among six county and state governments to receive the technical assistance grant.

“We re-established the Family Services Cabinet Council to make sure that state agencies are working together more effectively, coordinating services on behalf of Delaware families we serve, and delivering results,” said Governor Carney. “The Council is helping confront some of our most challenging issues – including ways to break the school-to-prison pipeline, expand job training, and reduce crime in our neighborhoods. An integrated data system will help us more effectively target our resources, and reach the kids and families who need our help the most.”

“We are excited to be awarded this technical assistance grant from UPenn’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy,” said Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, and a board-certified family physician. “This is the technical expertise we need to help make an integrated data system a reality in Delaware, and to help us support the young people in Wilmington who are at high risk for street violence and their families. Being able to see the full picture of the services that young people and their families are receiving and their interactions with the system will help us develop interventions that are coordinated and appropriate for each family.”

Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services will join other state agencies in working with the AISP Learning Community to plan for the implementation of an integrated data system that will establish linkages across multiple stand-alone government data systems. The technical assistance, which will begin in March 2018, will include in-person training, an online learning platform, and a full evaluation of the AISP program at the end of the 18 months. The training will cover governance of integrated data system, legal agreements, data integration and linking procedures, and identifying and carrying out research priorities.

The Data Working Group of the Family Services Cabinet Council, chaired by Secretary Walker, is comprised the eight FSCC agencies including the Department of Technology and Information (DTI). The working group is engaged in the early stages of the development of an integrated data system, drafting necessary data sharing agreements, and creating a vision for the system. The data working group is carrying forward the recommendation of the CDC report on gun violence in Wilmington. The working group also is partnering with CompassRed, a Wilmington-based data and analytics company, to identify the data needed for analysis to provide actionable, data-driven information back to DHSS that can be used to provide the right services to the right families.

“The goal is to increase collaboration between state social service agencies by developing the capacity to link and share data between agencies,” said James Collins, Chief Information Officer for the State of Delaware. “This will enable predictive analytics to better reveal which families and individuals are most at risk and deliver relevant information to social service agencies so they can respond more quickly with appropriate resources.”

The other county and state governments awarded Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy technical assistance grants are Baltimore and Miami-Dade counties and the states of Georgia, North Carolina and Vermont.

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which is managed locally by the Delaware Department of Education. Sponsors in CACFP can receive reimbursement for meals served in compliance with program regulations at qualifying child care centers, adult day care centers, emergency shelters, family day care homes and afterschool programs. Sponsors may be reimbursed for up to two meals and one snack per participant each day. Participant eligibility is tied to income eligibility guidelines that are adjusted annually by the USDA. The current eligibility guidelines are as follows:

FOR USE BY CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM

INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR REDUCED PRICE MEALS

Effective Date July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018

Conversion factors: Conversion is required if there are multiple income sources with more than one frequency (Example: a monthly Social Security check and a weekly wage stub). The participating agency must annualize all income by multiplying: weekly income by 52; bi-weekly income (received every two weeks) by 26; semi-monthly income (received twice a month) by 24; and monthly income by 12.

For more information please call the Delaware Department of Education Nutrition Office at (302) 857-3356.

Media Contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, (302) 735-4006

Delaware state social workers have begun providing assistance at libraries in all three counties under a pilot program launched by the Delaware Division of Libraries and the Department of Health and Social Services.

Two social workers from the Division of Social Services’ Community Partner Support Unit are now available once per week for three hours at seven libraries across the state.

Social workers can guide patrons through the state’s online benefits application process, assist individuals in applying for food benefits, help applicants gather necessary documents, connect eligible families and individuals with employment and training resources, and connect with other DHSS agencies to answer questions as needed. This onsite assistance is in addition to the help available at the 15 State Service Centers located statewide.

Public libraries are an ideal setting for the delivery of social services. As centers for community engagement and access to technology, people in need of assistance in many cases are already library patrons.

“This partnership enables libraries to leverage DHSS expertise in assisting library patrons with meeting their needs,” said Deputy Secretary of State Dr. Courtney Stewart. “Our libraries have evolved into force-multipliers for community outreach, and adding social services to the compliment of resources available through our libraries is a perfect fit.”

“Every day, in all Delaware public libraries, people come through the doors seeking assistance on a variety of topics, including social services,” said State Librarian Dr. Annie Norman. “This pilot project reflects the reality that critical needs have become more pronounced.”

“Connecting people to services as easily and efficiently as possible is what we aim to do every day, and this program is a great example of that,” said Ray Fitzgerald, director of DHSS’ Division of Social Services. “Library patrons will receive face-to-face contact with a social worker who can help them on the spot and, as needed, connect them to other beneficial services and programs. We hope this will ease the process for those seeking services while freeing library staff to concentrate on patrons’ other needs.”

Currently, more than 150 agencies and nonprofits are collaborating with Delaware libraries to provide services to patrons across the state.

“Through Delaware Partners, our goal is to extend the reach and effectiveness of partner capabilities and resources and foster collaboration,” said Dr. Norman, “We’re delighted to add the specialized expertise of DHSS social workers in our libraries.”

The schedule for social workers in Delaware libraries is as follows:

• North Wilmington Public Library, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fridays
• Wilmington Public Library – Rodney Square, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays
• Route 9 Library, New Castle, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays
• Dover Public Library, 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays
• Seaford Public Library, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays
• Selbyville Public Library, 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Thursdays
• Frankford Public Library, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays

“Delawareans deserve clean air,” says Governor John Carney 

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware announced today its intent to send four Notice of Intent to Sue letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding air pollution that comes into Delaware from other states.

The NOI letters, as required by the federal Clean Air Act, inform the EPA that the Delaware Department of Justice – acting on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control – will file suit against EPA for its failure to require power plants in Pennsylvania and West Virginia to reduce air pollution that significantly affects the quality of the air that Delawareans breathe.

Delaware has previously petitioned for relief to the EPA.

“The Clean Air Act entitles Delaware to relief from upwind pollution and the remedy we are seeking is reasonable and within EPA’s authority and responsibility to grant,” said Governor John Carney. “Delawareans deserve clean air, but our air quality is significantly impacted by pollution traveling downwind from other states. We are simply asking that the EPA require these power plants that pollute Delaware’s air to run their existing pollution control equipment when the plants are in operation.”

Four petitions filed between July and November 2016 by DNREC under Section 126 of the federal Clean Air Act, sought to have EPA require certain power plant units in upwind states to use their air pollution controls to reduce emissions.

The lawsuits will contend that EPA’s approval of the petitions is critical to protecting the health of Delawareans and helping contain the state’s rising healthcare costs from treating respiratory and lung diseases. EPA approval is also important to Delaware’s economy because fewer health-related absences from the workforce results in an increase in productivity.

Ground-level ozone, or smog, has been one of Delaware’s most pervasive and challenging air pollution problems. More than 90 percent of the ozone in Delaware originates from emissions in upwind states.

The filing of the Section 126 petitions, as well as the related Notice of Intent to Sue letters, comes after decades of efforts by DNREC to influence reduction of air pollution transported into Delaware from upwind states.

Though Delaware has made dramatic progress on improving air quality in recent years, emissions from out-of-state power plants continue to prevent Delaware from attaining and maintaining federal health-based air quality standards.

“The Department has pursued – and will continue to pursue – voluntary and collaborative efforts with partner states to ensure upwind power plants meet the same stringent standards which Delaware is required to meet,” said Shawn Garvin, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. “It is now time for EPA to hold upwind sources accountable for ozone emissions that are impacting downwind states.”

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Governor Carney and Council members will hold meeting to discuss state service delivery in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, Del. – At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 13, Governor Carney will host a public discussion on Wilmington with the Family Services Cabinet Council.

Governor Carney signed Executive Order #5 in February, re-establishing the Family Services Cabinet Council to help coordinate critical services for families across Delaware – including workforce and job-related services, early childhood education programs, social service delivery, and programs to improve public safety. Next Monday’s meeting will include presentations by members of the Council. Stakeholders and members of the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the Council and offer ideas for improving state service delivery in Wilmington.

Governor Carney chairs the Family Services Cabinet Council, which includes eight members of his Cabinet.

Discussion on Wilmington with the Family Services Cabinet Council

This event is open to the press.

WHAT:          Governor John Carney will host a public discussion with the Family Services Cabinet Council at Delaware Technical Community College in Wilmington. The agenda will include presentations on data-sharing efforts among state agencies in Wilmington, state service coordination for low-income families, and a planned dual generation center to improve the delivery of job-related services, and services for Wilmington children.

The event is an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to provide feedback and ideas for improving the delivery of state services in Wilmington.

WHO:  Governor John Carney
Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary, Department of Health and Social Services
Patrice Gilliam-Johnson, Secretary, Department of Labor
James Collins, Chief Information Officer, Department of Technology and Information
Josette Manning, Secretary, Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families
Dorrell Green, Director, Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education
Other members of the Family Services Cabinet Council
Community members

WHEN:         Monday, November 13, 2017
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:      Delaware Technical Community College, George Campus
300 N. Orange Street
Wilmington, DE 19801

Click here for the event flyer.
View and share the event on Facebook.

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