DOVER – State of Delaware offices will be closed Monday, March 3, 2014, during regular business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Non-essential employees are not to report to work for this period. Essential employees are to report as scheduled.

Changes to State support of early learning programs are designed to increase access to high quality care

 Wilmington, DE – Having made early childhood services a priority of his administration, Governor Markell announced today enhancements designed to help more early childhood programs receive high ratings and make it easier for kids from low-income families to get the best care.

Effective July 1, top quality programs will receive higher reimbursement rates from the state for accepting kids from families whose incomes are 200 percent of the poverty level or less. In addition, recently-published research by Stanford psychologists has found that “two-year-old children of lower-income families may already be six months behind in language development.” Delaware will become just the second state, after Rhode Island, to make infant care a special priority by providing funding for the additional staff necessary to work with the state’s youngest kids.

The state will also focus on providing the specific support child care providers say they need to increase their quality rating. At the same time, to earn the top ratings, programs will be held accountable for meeting specific standards based on research about factors that most affect a child’s development – like a curriculum focused on intentional teaching and a highly trained staff.

“To build a strong future for Delaware, we must give our kids the best chance to reach their potential,” said Governor Markell. “But we can’t wait for kindergarten to start preparing them for success. Quality early learning and care results in better educated, healthier, and more responsible adults. It’s a vital building block for the strong and sustainable workforce that determines America’s ability to compete in the decades to come.

“I’m proud of the progress we have made and I’m committed that we will not rest until every child has a fair opportunity.”

Background of Early Childhood Enhancements

The changes outlined below build on progress Delaware has made since 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.

State reimbursements for those children were significantly increased to 80 percent for three-star programs, 90 percent for four-star programs, and 100 percent for five-star programs. (Programs are rated on a 1-5 scale.)

Last year alone, the number of low-income Delaware children attending a high quality program increased by 50 percent, representing 2,200 kids.

Funding for the latest upgrades – the first major changes to funding for early learning programs since the initial improvements – come from the $50 million federal Early Learning Challenge grant that Delaware won in 2011, to continue to improve early childhood education in the state.

“These enhancements reflect the result of a comprehensive review of our programs, extensive feedback from early care providers, and a close examination of the research on successful early childhood programs,” said Jennifer Ranji, Secretary of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and their Families. “We know that the greatest benefits of early childhood programs only materialize when we’re able to offer the highest quality care from birth to kindergarten and today’s announcement brings up closer to making that a reality for all of our children.”

“I’m very hopeful that these changes will allow more programs to afford infant care,” said Cheryl Clendaniel, administrator at The Learning Center in Milford. “We see how important those first months are in a child’s development, but the amount of the resources it takes to support infants has made it extremely hard for centers to offer space for them.”

2014 STARS ENHANCEMENTS

• Higher reimbursements for 4 & 5 Star Programs: Recognizing that the most important investments in quality – including hiring great teachers and investing in curriculum – are the most expensive, the state is      increasing reimbursement rates for four- and five-star programs starting July 1, 2014.
  • Four-star programs will receive 93% of market rate tuition (now 90%)
  • Five-star programs will receive 102% of market rate tuition (now 100%)
  • Grants that help programs improve their rating will be restructured to take into account the number of children served, so that larger centers will receive more money.
•  Infant Care: Four- and five-star programs that offer infant care will receive additional funding.
• • Through a pilot initiative, Delaware will provide a pool of resources to be divided among qualifying programs to subsidize the high cost of infant care.
  • The pool will be distributed in three stages – October 2014, March 2015, and October 2015.  (Every qualifying program at the time of distribution will receive funding)
  • Programs must be four or five stars, must offer infant care, and must have a minimum enrollment of 5 percent of children from low-income families.
•  Raising Standards for Attaining 4 & 5 Star Ratings: Additional funding comes with more accountability. In the past, programs were only required to meet a certain number of a set of standards, but did not have to meet any one in particular. Recognizing that there are essential components of any high-quality program, the state is phasing in mandatory standards for programs moving up to or re-verifying as four and five  stars. These standards include:
• • Child Development Screening (January 2015)
  • Child Formative Assessment (January 2016)
  • Integration of Child Observation & Curriculum (July 2016)
  • Administrator Credential (July 2015) (Centers only,not family providers)
  • Curriculum & Assessment Credential (July 2016) (Centers only, not family providers)
• Additional Support: In response to feedback from providers and to help them meet the essential standards, the state will provide additional support for:
    Professional development in curriculum, diversity, and assessment
  • Access to an online curriculum and assessment credential

  Full implementation of formative child assessment

Wilmington  – In his weekly message, filmed at St. Michael’s School and Nursery in Wilmington, Governor Markell announces enhancements to help more early childhood programs receive high ratings and make it easier for disadvantaged kids to get the best care.

“We’ve heard from providers about the resources they need to meet high standards, so we’re increasing the assistance that’s most helpful,” said Governor Markell. “Our children are our future. By giving them the best opportunity to learn and develop from the beginning, we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.”

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/UJ8EOQW1194
Delaware.Gov:  http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
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Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Announcing Enhancements to Early Childhood Programs

We can’t wait for kindergarten to start preparing our children for success. Ninety percent of their brain development happens by age five and quality early care results in better educated, healthier, and more productive adults. That’s why we’ve made access to high quality early childhood programs a top priority, by setting standards for what it means to be a top program and helping our best centers serve families that can’t afford to attend. Our investments are paying off.

Last year alone, the number of low-income Delaware children attending a high quality program increased by 50 percent. That’s 2,200 more children served here at St. Michael’s and at other great centers across the state. Those kids are expanding their vocabulary, solving problems, and entering kindergarten ready to flourish. But we can do better for thousands more kids and their families.

I’m announcing enhancements that will help more early childhood programs receive high ratings and make it easier for disadvantaged kids to get the best care. Through federal grant money, four and five star programs will receive higher reimbursements for the cost of serving those kids. Recognizing our children’s development starts the day they’re born, these programs will receive additional funds for the increased staff necessary to work with infants. This funding comes with more accountability. To earn top ratings, programs will be asked to meet more specific criteria – like a high level of staff training.

We’ve heard from providers about the resources they need to meet high standards, so we’re increasing the assistance that’s most helpful. Our children are our future. By giving them the best opportunity to learn and develop from the beginning, we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

Kathleen Becker, a senior from Red Lion Christian Academy, won Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud state competition on February 25, 2014, held at the Smyrna Opera House. Becker’s recitations of “Sestina: Like,” by A. E. Stallings, “Channel Firing,” by Thomas Hardy, and “every single day,” by John Straley earned her high marks with the judges. The first runner-up was Idalis Stamas from Polytech High School, and the second runner-up was Kellina Moore from Appoquinimink High School.

For her winning presentation, Kathleen will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC, with a chaperone to compete for the national championship April 29-30, 2014. Red Lion Christian Academy will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Idalis Stamas, the first runner-up will receive $100, and $200 goes to Polytech High School for the purchase of poetry books.

Walmart provided $25 gift cards for all sixteen student finalists. At the National Finals, The Poetry Foundation will be awarding up to $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends, with a $20,000 college scholarship awarded to the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.

The state Poetry Out Loud competition, sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition.