NEW CASTLE – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ Health Fund Advisory Committee (HFAC) announced applications are now available for Fiscal Year 2026 and are due July 15.

This is a change from previous years when Delaware Health Fund applications went live in June and closed in August.

The application went live on Monday, April 15, which will still allow applicants to have three months to complete applications. Committee members will have about five weeks to complete a thorough review before public hearings begin.

Applications should be submitted electronically to Juliann.Villecco@delaware.gov and cc: Susan.Bailey@delaware.gov. The application should be sent as a PDF with the organization’s name at the beginning of the file name.

The Delaware Health Fund is a special fund comprising all annual payments received pursuant to the Master Settlement Agreement entered into by the State of Delaware and the Participating Tobacco Manufacturers.

For more information, and to view the application online, visit https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/healthfund.

Any questions should be directed to Jules Villecco at Juliann.Villecco@delaware.gov.

NEWARK – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) will seek public comment on its proposed State Plan on Aging for the period of October 2024 through September 2028.

The State Plan has been developed to meet requirements under Title III and Title VII of the Older Americans Act (OAA). The Act provides funding for a variety of programs and services for older Delawareans and their caregivers, including supportive services, nutrition programs, disease prevention and health promotion initiatives, elder rights protection activities, and caregiver support programs.

These hearings will provide an opportunity for the public to offer comments and suggestions on the plan. In-person sessions will be held in Wilmington, North New Castle County, Southern New Castle County, Kent County, East Sussex County, and West Sussex County, with one evening virtual session. The schedule is:

• April 8, 11 a.m. – Modern Maturity Center, 1122 Forest Avenue, Dover, DE. 19904
• April 9, 1 p.m. – Claymont Community Center, 3301 Green Street, Claymont, DE. 19703
•  April 18, 1 p.m. – MOT Senior Center, 300 South Scott Street, Middletown, DE. 19709
•  April 23, 1 p.m. – CHEER Community Center, 20520 Sand Hill Road, Georgetown, DE. 19947
•  April 25, 1 p.m. – Lewes Senior Activity Center, 32083 Janice Road, Lewes, DE. 19958
• April 26, 1-3 p.m. – Hispanic Association of Delaware, 1801 Lancaster Avenue, Wilmington, DE. 19805
•  May 2, 6 p.m. – Via Zoom

A copy of the draft plan may be obtained by following the links on the division’s website at: https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dsaapd/state_plan_hearings_2024.html

Twenty percent of Delaware’s total population is 65 years or older, according to the most recent census data, meaning nearly one in four Delawareans are currently eligible for OAA programs and services.

By the year 2040, Delawareans who are age 60 and older will make up one-third of the state’s population, or more than 313,835 people, according to the latest Delaware Population Consortium projections.

“Public input is essential to the development of Delaware’s State Plan on Aging, to ensure our programs, supports, and services reflect the growing and changing needs of Delaware’s older adult population,” said DSAAPD Director Melissa Smith. “We recognize the importance of active living and community integration to allow older Delawareans to age in place where, and how, they choose. We are asking you to partner with us in shaping what that will look like over the next four years.”

The goals of the State Plan are to ensure people can safely remain in their own homes, to promote healthy lifestyles and wellness activities that will enhance aging in place, and to assist with developing an individualized plan for equitable access to community activities.

The 2024-2028 State Plan on Aging focuses on initiatives such as:

• Promoting excellence in the delivery of Older Americans Act Core Programs through modernized service delivery and resource allocation.
• Supporting local community organizations to expand access to programming and support healthy aging.
• Increasing accessibility of emergency preparedness resources and services.
• Supporting Delaware’s aging population with in-home services and supports that allow them to age in place where and how they choose.
• Continuing stakeholder engagement in underserved communities to build and expand person-centered service delivery.
• Enhancing services and supports for Family Caregivers by implementing recommendations and best practices from local, state, and national taskforces and councils.

Comments and suggestions on the Draft State Plan on Aging will be accepted until the close of business on May 1, 2024.

• By Mail: DSAAPD Planning Unit, 240 Continental Drive, Suite 101, Newark, DE. 19713
• By Email: DelawareADRC@delaware.gov
• By Fax: 302-781-3548

NEW CASTLE (March 19, 2024) – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and Governor John Carney announced additional investments in child care for the upcoming year.

Building on the Governor’s Recommended Budget, which proposes expanding eligibility for Purchase of Care to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and creating over 200 additional ECAP seats, the State will be taking the following actions this year:

• Cap family co-payments at 7% of family income and remove all co-pays for families below 150% of the federal poverty level, ensuring families will pay less out of pocket for child care.
• Increase compensated absence days from five to 10, providing child care centers and homes with additional stability and predictability in their budgets.

When combined with the proposed investments in the Governor’s Recommended Budget, these actions will help more families pay for child care.

“We know how critical the first five years of a child’s life are to future academic and career success,” said Governor John Carney. “Investing in our youngest learners has been a priority of ours from day one, and these investments further that commitment. I want to thank our child care providers for all they do every day to set our children up for future success.”

Since 2017, the administration has more than doubled investments in Purchase of Care and the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP). The Governor’s Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 proposes investing $83 million in Purchase of Care, compared to $32 million in 2017 and $15.7 million in ECAP, compared to $6.1 million in 2017.

“From birth to 5, the first 1,825 days of a child’s life pave a foundation for the future. That’s why it is essential to support early education with policy and investments – it’s not only good for our kids, but also for our child care workforce and our state’s economy. Affordable child care is a necessity for families. These investments in Delaware’s early education sector show our commitment to families, providers, and the strength of our state,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long.

In addition to these investments, the State worked to keep child care providers open by investing more than $100 million during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are thankful for these additional investments which will help support our youngest Delawareans and families,” said Division of Social Services Director Tom Hall. “These program enhancements are a result of conversations and feedback with families, providers, and our federal partners. These investments will help make the purchase of care program more accessible and give providers the boost they need.”

For more information on child care, visit Delaware’s Child Care Consumer Education Website at https://www.mychildde.org/.

NEW CASTLE (February 12, 2024) – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and the Delaware Health Care Commission have launched the Benchmark Trend Report Dashboard to further support the State’s efforts to improve health care quality for all residents, while simultaneously working to monitor and reduce the economic burden of health care spending.

This dashboard allows an interactive view of Delaware’s health care spending and quality data comparing across multiple years. Users can directly interact with the data and visualizations, allowing a customizable journey through the dashboard. Information is broken down by state-, market- and insurer -level spending as well as type of insurance and total healthcare enrollment.

The spending and quality benchmarks were originally developed to support Governor John Carney’s vision for the State. In November 2018, Governor Carney signed Executive Order 25, establishing a state health care spending benchmark, an annual per-capita-rate-of-growth benchmark for health care spending, and multiple health care quality measures that are to be evaluated and adjusted every three years. The benchmarks were subsequently codified in August of 2022 through House Bill 442.

“Our goal of ensuring that Delawareans can access and afford quality health care is only possible when agencies across the State work collectively to pursue answers and solutions,” said DHSS Cabinet Secretary Josette Manning. “The benchmarks are a means to continue the conversation about how to decrease the cost of care and improve quality for the individuals we serve.”

To learn more about Delaware’s health care spending and quality benchmarks, visit the Delaware Health Care Commission website at https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhcc/.

On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, the Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) was recognized by the 152nd General Assembly, with House Concurrent Resolution 81 sponsored by Rep. Kimberly Williams, (D-19), and Sen. Jack Walsh, (D-9).

November 2023 marked 10 years since the OAW was established under the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH). The OAW is a state office dedicated to protecting the health, safety and welfare of companion animals, and promoting the human-animal bond.

“For 10 years now, the Office of Animal Welfare has worked to improve the quality of life for pets and people across our state and their efforts deserve recognition,” said Rep. Kim Williams. “Through their collaboration with local animal shelters, rescues, and the veterinary community, they have not only made Delaware a more humane and compassionate place, but have also played a pivotal role in making our state the first no-kill animal shelter state. As we celebrate their remarkable 10 years of service, let us also embrace the important message of ‘adopt, don’t shop’ when looking for a new four-legged friend.”

In 2012, a State Animal Welfare Taskforce of policymakers, veterinarians, shelter directors and others with expertise in animal welfare was assembled to analyze issues concerning companion animals and to make recommendations for improvement. The 147^th Delaware General Assembly established the OAW from the recommendations of this taskforce in late 2013, as it was clear there was a need for a state office dedicated to addressing these issues. Today, the public has one centralized office to manage and coordinate programs and services for pets, which greatly reduces the confusion for residents and fragmentation of services that existed previously.

“Over the last decade, the Office of Animal Welfare has played a vital role in promoting safer and healthier communities by carrying out their mission to protect the welfare of the dogs, cats and other furry companions that are a part of so many of our families,” said Sen. Jack Walsh, the Senate prime sponsor of HCR 81. “I am proud to recognize the OAW’s tireless dedication, and even prouder of the work that OAW and the General Assembly have done, and will continue to do, to protect the welfare of animals throughout Delaware.”

In recent years, the office has created many programs and resources to promote the safety and wellbeing of Delawareans and their companion animals. Among these accomplishments are:

• Launching a statewide Lost and Found Pet Registry.
• Implementing training and certification regulations for animal welfare officers that ensures preparedness and consistency statewide.
• Establishing Delaware Animal Services (DAS) which is the Office’s enforcement unit to safeguard pets and the public.
• Drafting enforcement provisions for the Shelter Standards Law.
• Implementing a comprehensive shelter oversight program which conducts regular inspections of Delaware’s animal shelters.
• Expansion of the State Spay & Neuter Program to reduce animal homelessness.

“Celebrating 10 years of the Office of Animal Welfare is a significant milestone that is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our staff and community partners, as well as the support of the public,” said OAW Director Christina Motoyoshi. “This tribute provides an opportunity to recognize those that worked to create the Office and reflect on the impact made as a result to reduce animal homelessness and suffering, elevate professionalism and make our community safer for people and pets. We look forward to continued progress and serving as a vital resource for Delawareans for years to come.”

For more information about OAW, visit https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/oaw/oawhome.html. To report animal cruelty or a dog control issue, call 302-255-4646.