Governor Jack Markell announced today that Friday, December 26, 2014, will be an additional holiday for state government.

“I know how challenging it has been to meet the increased demands placed on our government in the last several years, and to do so in many cases with fewer resources. State employees have continued to provide excellent service in spite of these challenges and deliver every day for the citizens of Delaware,” said Governor Markell. “I want to recognize them for their commitment by allowing them to spend an extra day with their families this holiday season.”

Employees at 24-hour facilities, such as state hospitals and correctional centers, will report to work. State offices will re-open on Monday, December 29, 2014, with normal business hours.

(Lewes, DE) – In his weekly message, filmed at the Lewes Public Library, Governor Markell discusses the importance of continued investments in Delaware’s libraries.
“This past week, we celebrated the groundbreaking for what will be the state’s 14th library opening or expansion since 2009, bringing our state’s investment in library construction to nearly thirty million dollars over the past seven years,” said Governor Markell. “By supporting public libraries, we can help give everyone the resources and information they need to increase their knowledge, find new economic opportunities, and build stronger bonds within their communities.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: http://youtu.be/wUU31d6RhQg
Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
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Facebook:  www.facebook.com/governormarkell
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You may view the Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Supporting Public Libraries, Building Stronger Communities

No matter how much technology changes the way get information, we will always rely on the value of public libraries in our state. They bridge the digital divide, bringing computers, the internet, and other technology to people who otherwise may not have access. Children gain opportunities to develop a life-long love of literacy and learning, while people of all ages can find accessible spaces to come together. And library resources help unemployed and underemployed workers find and apply for jobs. This past week, we celebrated the groundbreaking for what will be the state’s 14th library opening or expansion since 2009, bringing our state’s investment in library construction to nearly thirty million dollars over the past seven years. The new Lewes Public Library will exemplify the growing importance of libraries to our communities. With support from the city and state, as well as local organizations and individuals, the facility will be filled with state-of-the-art meeting rooms; dozens of computer stations; and a special section designed to meet the electronic needs of young people. And library initiatives will be integrated with the surrounding area. Bicyclists and hikers will have the opportunity to pick up music or an audio book for a ride to Rehoboth Beach and back via our state’s growing network of trails, which are attracting new residents and visitors to Sussex County. By supporting public libraries, we can help give everyone the resources and information they need to increase their knowledge, find new economic opportunities, and build stronger bonds within their communities. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.

Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock has ordered the temporary suspension of the Delaware nursing license of Cody R. Krogh of Dover following complaints of the licensee engaging in activities that present a clear and immediate danger to the public health, safety or welfare.

In making his determination, Secretary Bullock considered the written complaints filed by the Board of Nursing for temporary suspension of the professional license of Krogh. Krogh was arrested and charged on or about November 24, 2014, with one misdemeanor count of theft and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. On or about December 2, 2014, he was charge with a second misdemeanor count of theft, a second misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia and an additional misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.

The Delaware Code Titles 23 and 24 were amended on April 15 to enable a temporary suspension pending a hearing to be issued upon the written order of the Secretary of State with the concurrence of the Board chair if the activity of the licensee presents a clear and immediate danger to the public health.

As a result of the actions taken today, the suspension of Krogh will remain in effect for a period of 60 days during which time disciplinary hearings will be held to determine the final disposition for the nurse.

The licensure status of Krogh has been updated on the Division of Professional Regulation’s online license verification service.

Allows state to build on work to increase access to quality early childhood programs

Wilmington, DE – Earning an opportunity to build on recent commitments to expand quality early learning services for its youngest residents, Delaware was notified today that it has been awarded a $5.5 million dollar federal grant to offer more services for infants, toddlers, and their families. The state is projected to receive $1.1 million per year for five years under this award, which will help low-income families receive high quality, comprehensive services for their children.

“We know children begin to learn the day they are born, and progress made in the first months and years is vital to their life-long success,” said Governor Jack Markell. “As a state, we have made great strides in increasing access to quality early childhood programs for kids from disadvantaged communities. This grant supports our increased focus on infant and toddler care by providing better health, educational, and other services for children and families who need our help the most.”

The funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced today at the White House Summit on Early Education, will help the state expand on efforts announced earlier this year to make infant care a special priority, recognizing the importance of helping top early childhood programs subsidize the high cost of this work and provide more opportunities for low-income children.

Through the grant, infants and toddlers will participate in full day, year-round programs with comprehensive services that include: health and developmental screenings; expanded family engagement opportunities such as home visits and conferences; support for parents’ education and other needs; and health and nutrition services.

Beginning in January 2015, partnerships with identified early childhood providers will increase Early Head Start (EHS) services for 72 children. Twenty-four new slots will be added to either EHS or other early childhood programs, based on waiting lists and identified need areas in Kent and Sussex Counties. The remaining 48 slots represent enhancements of existing early childhood services for children with need in all three counties.

Families qualify based on eligibility for the federal Head Start early childhood program. Early Head Start helps families care for their infants and toddlers through early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive services, helping children age 0-3 and their families.

“We are extremely pleased to receive this award,” said Secretary Jennifer Ranji of Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, which oversees the state’s early learning efforts. “This grant will enhance infant – toddler programs, while also ensuring families have access to valuable services to help them with their daily needs as they work toward brighter futures.”

In addition, the grant offers the opportunity to expand the specialized infant-toddler workforce by offering professional development and site-based technical assistance to staff who work with the State’s youngest population. This announcement follows the commitment announced by Governor Markell in February to provide additional funding for programs serving the state’s youngest kids. Through a pilot initiative, the state is allocating a pool of resources to be divided among qualifying programs – those rated with four or five out of five stars.

“This federal grant will help Delaware children and their families with the care, education, screenings and other needed assistance to help ensure our youngest residents get a great start in life,” said Delaware’s Congressional Delegation of Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congressman John Carney (all D-Del.). “We know that focusing on a child’s education from the very beginning can set them on a path toward success throughout their life. These federal dollars will build upon the great work that Delaware is already doing and help the many families that rely on these important early education programs.”

Grant partners include:

La Fiesta at the Latin American Community Center (NcCo), Our Future Child Care, LLC (NcCo), Telemon Early Head Start (Kent Co), Sunshine Home (Kent Co), Parents and Children Together at Tech (Sussex Co), Primeros Pasos (Sussex Co).  Technical Assistance will be provided by: New Directions Early Head Start, Telemon Head Start and Early Head Start, and the Delaware Early Childhood Center.  State Level Partners include: DHSS – Purchase of Care, Birth to Three Part C.

Background on Delaware Early Childhood Progress

The grant award allows the State to build upon the successful early learning work started as a result of the state’s increased investments, as well as funding won through the federal Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Grant (RTTT – ELC).  Governor Markell proposed, and the General Assembly passed, a $22 million investment in 2011 to increase early childhood’s budget by a third. That funding was the start of an effort to significantly upgrade the state’s STARS Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) by increasing the number of high-quality early learning programs and giving the best programs the support they need to accept kids who could otherwise not afford to enroll.

Some of the state’s accomplishments in the past three years include:

• Increasing the total number of early learning programs participating in Stars from 134 to 463 since 2012.
• Increasing the percentage of high-needs children in the STARS Top Tier programs from 27% in 2012 to 49% in September 2014, with the number of high-needs children receiving follow-up services increasing from 4,900 to 6,060.
• Enrolling 69% of Delaware’s children with high needs in all Stars programs (10,404 students).
• Increasing the percentage of programs in Stars Top Tiers (Stars 3 – 5) from 41% in 2012 to 59% in 2014.
• Increasing the number of children receiving developmental screenings from 22,755 to 27,880.
• Focusing on teacher retention/education through the distribution of CORE awards.  The awards encourage teachers in early childhood programs to obtain credentials or college credit. In the first year, $4.6 million in academic incentives were disbursed to more than 1,600 early learning teachers.
• Becoming one of 13 states implementing a kindergarten readiness assessment, called the Delaware Early Learner Survey. This year, more than 80% of kindergarten teachers used the survey with more than 8,500 children; next year all public kindergarten classrooms will participate.