Annual event honors families adopting and family service workers

DOVER – On November 18, the State of Delaware came together to celebrate National Adoption Day, a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of adoption and the support available to adoptive families. This special program, hosted by the Interagency Committee on Adoption, a collaboration between Delaware’s child welfare agencies, also paid tribute to the dedication of those who work to ensure children find their forever homes.

Delaware’s Lieutenant Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families Secretary Steve Yeatman, representatives from the Delaware Division of Family Services, and members of the Interagency Committee on Adoption gathered at the Dover Public Library for a heartfelt ceremony. The celebration included adoption ceremonies for families and recognition of the nearly 60 families who expanded their families through adoption this year.

During the celebration, Delaware Family Court Judge Mardi Pyott finalized adoptions for two families in front of dozens of loved ones, friends, community advocates and social workers.

In a video message, Gov. John Carney celebrated the families and all those who have opened their homes to adoption throughout the year. “You have created your families in a unique and special way,” said Governor Carney. “And you have provided the gifts of unconditional love and a protective home for so many Delaware children.” Gov. Carney also thanked the permanency workers and family court judges who have made a commitment to young people in need and recognized Delaware’s youth who have experienced foster care and face every day with courage and resiliency.

Lt. Gov. Hall-Long presented a proclamation, signed by herself and Gov. Carney, declaring November 18 as National Adoption Day and recognizing November as National Adoption Month. Hall-Long applauded the commitment and compassion of the adopting families and family service workers. “As a mom, as a nurse, I’m so humbled to be here,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “It is so incredibly important to recognize the remarkable foundation that each and every one of you are providing for all children; our foster children are loved.”

As the recognition month ends, the critical work of connecting children with families through adoption continues every day.

“As we celebrate National Adoption Day, we remember that our work is far from over,” said Steve Yeatman, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. “Countless children are still waiting for a loving family’s warmth and security. I urge everyone to consider how you can contribute to this noble cause. Whether it’s through adoption, fostering, or supporting organizations that facilitate these connections, there is a role for each of us in ensuring that every child’s right to a loving home is realized.”

In closing remarks, Division of Family Services Director Trenee Parker congratulated and thanked the families and community partners for being part of this wonderful community and giving us hope for the future. “That’s what we’re here for today,” said Parker. “One day, these little people are going to be standing up here making these remarks and doing things to take care of the citizens of our state.”

To learn more about adoption and free post-adoption resources in Delaware, call 302-633-2658 or email adoption.dscyf@delaware.gov. Visit kids.delaware.gov/family-services/adoption/.

To learn about the children in Delaware seeking an adoptive family, visit https://kids.delaware.gov/family-services/heartgallery/.

View a recording of Delaware’s National Adoption Day Celebration.

About DSCYF
The Delaware Children’s Department provides services to children who have been abused, neglected, are dependent, have mental health or substance use disorders, and/or have been adjudicated delinquent by the Courts, as well as prevention services targeted toward all youth. It has four divisions: Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services, Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services, Division of Family Services and Division of Management Support Services. For more information, please visit www.kids.delaware.gov.

Media contact: Karen Smith, Karen.M.Smith@delaware.gov

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney on Wednesday issued the following statement on the Senate’s vote to confirm the Governor’s nominations of Josette Manning to serve as Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services; Steven Yeatman to serve as Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families; and Robert Coupe to serve as Marijuana Commissioner, overseeing implementation of Delaware’s marijuana legalization law and industry regulation.  

“We’re lucky to have talented public servants throughout state government, and I know this group will continue to work hard to make Delaware an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. They are all well-respected problem solvers and committed to the people of Delaware. I want to thank Josette, Steve, and Rob for their willingness to serve, and members of the Delaware Senate for voting to confirm their nominations.”

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NEW CASTLE (Feb. 8, 2023) – Divisions from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families (DSCYF) are working together to prevent opioid abuse among young athletes by funding innovative prevention programs in the community.

The Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services (DPBHS) are helping local athletic groups provide programs that include evidence-based curriculum to help prevent opioid use by youth. Funded by a federal grant in response to the state’s opioid epidemic, the project includes the Delaware Ducks football team, Duffy’s Hope basketball league, and Slingshot Family Services’ lacrosse team.

Delaware continues to struggle with opioid overdoses. In 2021, the Delaware Division of Forensic Science reported 515 overdose deaths in Delaware, an increase of almost 19.5% over the last three years. Of the 515 total deaths in 2021, 420 (81%) involved fentanyl, a synthetic pain reliever that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine.

“Providing preventative education is important in this fight against Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and focusing on teen athletes who may be exposed to opioids due to injury is another way we’re trying to lower the public’s risk,” said DSAMH Director Joanna Champney.

DSAMH, a division of the Department of Health and Social Services, has been able to provide funding for these and other programs through the State Opioid Response (SOR) Initiative. The overall goals for SOR in Delaware include decreasing opioid overdoses statewide, improving understanding of and engagement and retention in OUD/SUD treatment and identifying and engaging high-risk populations in treatment.

The Ducks football program is year-round and geared toward middle school aged boys. Federal grants administered by DSAMH and DPBHS are funding the football team’s use of an evidence-based curriculum called SPORT. The curriculum presents information to the players, coaches and parents about the dangers of drug use and includes a parental component that requires 100% participation. During the summer, the Ducks hosted a mini conference for their participants and families. Approximately 400 youth and 100 coaches and caregivers participated in prevention and educational activities on the consequences of opioid and/or stimulant misuse.

Slingshot Family Services, which is bringing lacrosse to youth in Wilmington, and Duffy’s Hope high school basketball league in Glasgow and Wilmington, are also participating in the initiative using the SPORT curriculum. The goal is to promote physical activity and sports, combined with wellness focused activities that increase positive behaviors around stress management, nutrition, sleep and other areas. This lowers teens’ risk for addiction.

“Unfortunately, student athletes may be at an elevated risk of substance misuse due to injury, intense pressure to perform, anxiety and the belief that drugs may enhance their performance,” said Shelly Lazorchak, Director of Prevention Services for the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services, part of the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families (DSCYF). “It is critical for the adults around them to understand the impact of substances on a youth’s developing brain and encourage them to delay first use of substances as long as possible.”

The Ducks have also partnered for the last two years with aTAcK addiction, an organization that provides educational presentations on strategies to eliminate drug addiction.

“The players have been attentive and expressed interest and concern regarding this problem,” said Don Keister, a board member of aTAcK addiction. “The coaches have been supportive, reinforcing the importance of resisting the use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. I commend the work in helping these student athletes realize the dangers associated with experimentation at their young age.”

Ninety percent of Americans with a substance use disorder used their first substance prior to age 18. Adults should educate themselves on the risk factors facing youth and promote health and wellness. By engaging them in prevention education while continuing to encourage their participation in healthy activities, such as sports, it creates a win-win environment.

Are you a coach or athletic director in Delaware interested in partnering with DSCYF to offer preventative education and activities to your youth team or club? Contact Shelly Lazorchak at Rochelle.Lazorchak@Delaware.gov.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with substance use, call the Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-9-HOPEDE for information and resources or visit HelpisHereDE.com.

For youth mental health resources, call the 24/7 Child Crisis Hotline (Mobile Response and Stabilization Services) at 1-800-969-HELP (4357). You can also contact the Prevention helpline at 302-633-2680 or PBHS_Prevention_Inquiries@delaware.gov (learn about free services for substance use, trauma, mental health, stress relief, healthy relationships, caregiver support and more).

Editor’s note: The following guest column was written by Delaware Education Secretary Mark Holodick and Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF) Secretary Josette Manning.

As parents or guardians, we tend to react quickly when our children’s physical health is in question. If children show physical symptoms, get injured, or express they don’t feel right, we immediately ask questions and seek medical guidance and care. Parents and guardians are also pros at prevention — making sure children get vaccines and wellness exams and keeping an eye out for anything unusual that may indicate they are sick or hurt. That same level of attention and action for prevention and treatment is critical to supporting children’s mental health.

Many children will experience a mental health and/or substance use problem before age 18. In a survey of 80,000 youth around the world, 1 in 4 reported depressive symptoms and 1 in 5 experienced anxiety symptoms. Those rates are double what they were before the pandemic and we also know that more children have experienced trauma in response to COVID.  The good news is that there are things that caregivers can do to help promote children’s mental wellbeing.    Children thrive in the presence of thriving adults who support them in co-regulation and processing their emotions.  When a child has an emotionally healthy, caring adult in their life, it can help buffer against stress and help them to navigate experiences with resilience.  Anyone can be that adult for a child and make a real difference in their life.   How?  One of the easiest ways is for caregivers to talk with the children in their care—naturally, regularly, and intentionally as a part of daily life. Ask how they are feeling in general and about specific situations, like an upcoming social gathering or recent world event. These talks can take place in the car, standing in line, or at the dinner table.  Be an active listener and show interest in all aspects of their life and the things that matter to them.  And don’t hesitate to talk with them if you are concerned about their mental health and ask whether they are thinking about or planning suicide.  If you are concerned about a child in crisis, you should call the 24/7 Child Crisis Line, also known as Mobile Resource Stabilization Service, at 1-800-969-HELP (4357).

In addition to a caring adult, research shows that prevention and treatment programs do work and there are resources available to help children and their families through the Delaware Children’s Department Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services (DPBHS) and the Department of Education (DOE) and local schools.

The Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services (DPBHS) provides free summer prevention programs for children and teens that promote resilience, develop positive relationships with peers and adults and build life skills.  Families and community members can contact the division’s Prevention Helpline to learn about these services by calling (302) 633-2680, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., or by email at PBHS_Prevention_Inquiries@delaware.gov .  You can click here to see the current catalogue of programs: https://kidsfiles.delaware.gov/pdfs/pbh-summer-prevention-programs-2022.pdf. You can also visit DPBHS’ website to learn more about covered treatment services https://kids.delaware.gov/prevention-and-behavioral-health-services/information-for-families/.

Delaware schools support children through wellness promotion, monitoring for early warning signs,  and screening for risks. Students may access group and individualized supports for building social and emotional skills.  The state’s Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellbeing Plan provides infrastructure for this response system, integrating the innovations from Project DelAWARE – designed to reduce the stigma associated with mental health access – and Project THRIVE – which contracts directly with mental health provider organizations to offer trauma-specific interventions for ALL uninsured and under-insured  students, regardless of whether they attend public or private schools demonstration project funded by the US Department of Education. Both of these programs have increased mental health equity for children and youth across our state.  Students or parents and caregivers on their behalf can learn more by calling 211 or texting their zip code to 898-211.

WILMINGTON, Del. –Governor John Carney, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF) on Tuesday announced a $16 million investment to renovate and remodel Wharton Hall on the DSCYF campus.

The new facilities will be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). ARPA was championed in Congress by members of Delaware’s congressional delegation – Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester – and signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021.

“Our Children’s Department showed up every day during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve our community. These ARPA investments will help us support the work these public servants do every day and address a gap in behavioral health services,” said Governor Carney. “Thank you to Senator Carper, Senator Coons and Representative Blunt Rochester for their advocacy efforts on the American Rescue Plan Act that will help Delaware recover from this pandemic and make our community stronger.”

The goal of this investment is to add more in-state crisis beds and create a state-of-the-art, trauma-informed behavioral health diagnostic center to meet the complex needs of adolescents.

“Investing in our children means we’re investing in our future,” said Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “Thanks to funds from the American Rescue Plan, which we voted to pass in March of last year, the State of Delaware will be able to completely renovate Wharton Hall on the Delaware Youth and Family Center campus. With these improvements, Wharton Hall will once again be able to provide much-needed support for Delaware children and their families.”

“Our children are faced with challenges every single day that affect their mental and physical health. Since the pandemic, mental health related visits for teenagers has increased 31 percent and suspected suicide attempts has increased 39 percent,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, PhD, RNC, FAAN. “Ensuring we have a top-tier equitable system in place to support the behavioral health needs of our youth, especially when they are most vulnerable and in crisis, is one of the most critical investments we can make. These enhancements, made possible through the American Rescue Plan Act, will help us deliver quality care to make Delaware families stronger and healthier. I am grateful for the leadership of our Governor and congressional delegation.”

“One in three high school students are reporting that they feel persistently sad and hopeless,” said Secretary of DSCYF Josette Manning. “This adolescent diagnosis center and expansion of crisis beds will allow us to provide better services to youth and adolescents while we keep them closer to their homes and closer to their communities, with targeted interventions to help stabilize them so that, ideally, they can return to their homes and their communities sooner. Thank you to the Governor, Lt. Governor, Federal Delegation, and the General Assembly for their support.”

Watch the press conference here.

Learn more about Delaware’s American Rescue Plan Investments here.