Governor Carney Launches Opportunity Grant Program to Support Disadvantaged Delaware Students

School districts, charter schools can apply for $1 million in new funding

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Tuesday that Delaware schools can now apply for $1 million in special funding to improve supports for low-income students, students chronically exposed to stress and trauma, and English language learners.

The new Opportunity Grant program – created and funded by Governor Carney and members of the General Assembly in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget – will help Delaware identify and incentivize schools with proven strategies for helping disadvantaged students succeed in the classroom.

Through September 5, school districts and charter schools can apply for up to 10 competitive Opportunity Grants through the Delaware Department of Education. Schools may receive a maximum of $350,000 in funding to support programs in the 2017-2018 school year.

“We have students in Wilmington and across our state who are affected by significant amounts of trauma and stress in their lives, and we have to do more to support them, help them thrive in school, and prepare them for long-term success,” said Governor Carney. “That’s what this new program is about – providing effective support for Delaware students who need it most. These grants provide additional flexibility for schools serving disadvantaged students, with the expectation that results and successful practices will be shared across schools serving a similar population. Thank you to members of the General Assembly for helping us create this program, and for their leadership on this issue.”

Governor Carney pledged last week that he would take decisive action over the next year to address Delaware’s achievement gap, and he has made it a priority to support disadvantaged students in Wilmington and across the state.

Earlier this month, the Governor announced that Dorrell Green, a longtime Wilmington educator, would lead a new Wilmington-based office to support teachers and students in Wilmington’s neediest schools, and in schools serving at-risk students statewide.

The new Opportunity Grant program will specifically provide additional funding for:

  • Integrated student services and trauma-informed supports to low-income students based on their needs, or;
  • Additional supports to low-income and English language learner students.

In considering applications for funding, the Department of Education will give preference to school-level initiatives, rather than broader district or organizational programs. Grant applicants must outline a detailed plan for how funds will be used – and grant recipients will be required to provide information on the outcome of the support, in an effort to showcase what is working.

“We know those educators who work most closely with our children know best what supports are needed for their children and community,” said Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education. “This is a chance for local leaders to design programs and supports that meet those needs and for us to learn from their work to better support other children in our state with similar challenges.”

Grant awards will be announced in September. Superintendents will meet next week with Secretary Bunting, and will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the grant process.

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Opportunity Grants


Governor Carney Directs DOE to Create Regulation, Model Policy to Prevent Discrimination in Schools

New guidelines will help districts and charter schools create consistent anti-discrimination policies statewide
 
WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Tuesday that he has directed the Delaware Department of Education to develop specific guidelines – by regulation – for school districts and charter schools to use in developing policies that prohibit discrimination against students.

The guidelines will help districts and charters create consistent policies statewide that prohibit discrimination based on gender, race and/or ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. The effort also will produce a model anti-discrimination policy that each district and charter could adopt, or tailor and adopt, to suit the needs of their students.

“These new guidelines will help ensure that districts and charter schools have the support they need to develop consistent, meaningful policies that prohibit discrimination against students,” said Governor Carney. “I expect Delaware’s school districts to ensure that every student can attend school comfortably and without fear of discrimination – now and in the future. At the state level, we’re making sure that state agencies follow a consistent, anti-discrimination policy. This will help our schools move in that same direction.”

The Department of Education will develop the guidelines with input from the public and school leaders. They will provide clear guidance to districts and charters to prohibit discrimination in educational programs, and activities for students, on the basis of any legally protected characteristic.

Governor Carney’s directive called for the new regulation to be published for public comment by November 1.

“Our students, staff, and families deserve schools that treat every student with dignity,” said Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education. “It’s my job as Secretary to ensure that happens for Delaware’s nearly 137,000 students.”

Read Governor Carney’s memo to Secretary Bunting.

 

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Food Benefits for 25,000 Students Being Mailed to Delaware Families through DHSS’ Summer EBT Program

NEW CASTLE (June 29, 2017) – Electronic benefit cards with access to food benefits are arriving for 25,000 students through the Department of Health and Social Services’ Summer EBT Program. The program offers a way to support families in ensuring that their children have dependable access to food during the summer months.

The Summer EBT Program helps families buy healthy food during the summer for children who currently receive free or reduced-price meals at school. The food benefits are loaded on an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card for use during summer months when free or reduced-price meals through the school are not available. This is the fifth year that Delaware has been awarded a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to operate the program. This year’s grant is for $2.25 million.

Collaborating with the Delaware Department of Education, this initiative involves students in school districts from across the state in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. In 2012, the first year of the summer program, about 4,000 students in the Red Clay, Colonial, Christina and Appoquinimink school districts were served. The program has expanded each year since then.

Letters to parents, notifying them of their children’s eligibility for the program, already have been sent. To be eligible, families must have participated in the Summer EBT Program in 2015 or 2016.

“The Summer EBT Program provides another way to make sure that eligible students get enough to eat during the summer months,” said Gov. John Carney, whose wife, First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, is leading a Delaware team studying how Virginia has leveraged public-private partnerships to ensure school-age children have regular access to healthy meals. “It’s critical that young people have access to quality food year-round, so they remain healthy and ready to learn when school begins again in the fall.”

In 2016 in Delaware, more than 98,000 children received free or reduced-price lunch, including tens of thousands who relied on school nutrition programs as their primary source of healthy meals. About 14.8 percent of Delaware’s children are classified as food insecure, which means they don’t always know where they will find their next meal. These problems are intensified when schools let out for the summer.

Families who are chosen for the project receive up $30 per month for each school-age child in the home. Electronic benefit transfer cards are being mailed to parents through the first week in July. No matter when parents receive the cards, they will receive benefits for June, July and August. The cards are valid through Aug. 28. Users can buy non-cooked foods from merchants who accept food benefits. The cards cannot be used at fast-food stores or restaurants.

“As a family physician, I have seen what hunger does to children physically, emotionally and mentally,” said DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker. “The Summer EBT Program is an effective way to make sure that children get the access to food during the summer months that they need. We’re proud to join with the Department of Education in providing this much-needed support to families across our state.”

“USDA helps Delaware families afford fresh food throughout the year, and this program helps bridge the gap between the school year when children receive nutritious school meals and summer breaks when meals may be harder to come by,” Sen. Tom Carper said. “This important federal investment goes a long way to help our children learn and thrive – not only in the classroom, but throughout their everyday lives. I encourage anyone who knows a child or family in need to tell them about this important program so that we can decrease the number of young men and women who aren’t sure they’ll always be able to find a healthy meal this summer.”

“I thank the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and Delaware Department of Education and the support of the USDA for their continued work to ensure that all children across our state are able to live a happy and healthy life,” Sen. Chris Coons said. “Access to good nutrition is a critical part of a child’s educational and physical development, and I am pleased the Summer EBT Program has continued and will help children receive the nutrients they need during the summer months.”

 

“The unfortunate truth is that too many of our children are unsure where their next meal is going to come from, and that is an issue that is further exacerbated during the summer months,” U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester said. “It’s critical we continue to support this program and ensure that families and children alike have the opportunity to purchase nutritious foods that prepare them to succeed, and I thank the state for their work and attention on this issue.”

In addition to Delaware, USDA awarded Summer EBT grants for summer 2017 to eight other states and tribal nations that operated demonstration projects in 2016: Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, and the Chickasaw and Cherokee nations. USDA also awarded Summer EBT grants to two new applicants, Tennessee and Texas, which will operate demonstration projects in summer 2018. They are the first states to launch new Summer EBT demonstration projects since 2012, allowing USDA and the states to test strategies for building Summer EBT infrastructure and engaging local communities.

USDA studies have found that insufficient nutrition may hinder the ability of children to function normally. Potential problems include: increased risk for chronic health conditions such as anemia and asthma; increased risk for being hospitalized; more frequent instances of oral health problems; poorer physical quality of life, which may prevent them from fully engaging in daily activities; greater risk of truancy and school tardiness during the school year; or such behavior problems as fighting, hyperactivity, aggression, anxiety, mood swings, and bullying.

For more information about Delaware’s Summer EBT Program for Children, contact Ruth Campbell with DHSS’ Division of Social Services at 302-424-7287.

 

 

 

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Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.


Summer Food Service Program Provides Nutritious Meals for Needy Children

Delaware’s First Lady is leading effort to ensure children have regular access to healthy meals

WILMINGTON, Del. – First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney and the Delaware Department of Education are asking for your help in letting Delaware residents know of the availability of free meals this summer for children in need.

The Summer Food Service Program targets children in low-income areas to ensure they have nutritious meals during the summer. Children and teens 18 years old or younger are eligible to receive a meal at the open sites. It is a federally funded program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and managed locally by the Delaware Department of Education.

Delawareans can call “211” or text “food” or “comida” to 877-877 to find meal sites in Delaware.

“We’re asking all Delawareans to join in the fight against childhood hunger by spreading the word about the Summer Food Service Program,” said First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney. “Ensuring that every child has access to nutritious meals is a moral obligation that also supports the most urgent, practical goals we have for our state – for student engagement and achievement, for public health, and for a vibrant economy driven by a strong workforce.”

Meal site sponsors, including school districts, are using creative ways to reach children in their communities, including trucks that bring meals to neighborhoods, partnerships with libraries and bookmobiles and meal sites at community functions such as the Loockerman Way Farmers’ Market in Dover and the Delaware State Fair.

“Many children depend on the nutrition they receive at school during the academic year. When school is out, their needs remain,” said Susan Bunting, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education. “The Summer Food Service Program provides meals to children in their own communities so that they don’t go hungry during summer break.”

First Lady Carney is leading a Delaware team studying how to leverage public-private partnerships to ensure school-age children have regular access to healthy meals. In addition to providing more education and outreach to increase awareness, the team will identify new and innovative ways to increase access to child nutrition programs, specifically for families in rural areas when school is not in session.

Use the hashtag #summermealsDE to spread the word on social media.

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Related news:
First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney Attends Learning Lab on Strategies to Reduce Childhood Hunger


Governor Carney Visits Appoquinimink High School to Highlight Pathways Program

MIDDLETOWN, Del. – Governor John Carney visited Appoquinimink High School on Friday with Delaware Secretary of Education Susan Bunting to talk with educators and students about Delaware’s Pathways to Prosperity Program. Governor Carney and Secretary Bunting toured classrooms and met with students engaged in different pathways. Governor Carney is committed to expanding work-based learning opportunities for Delaware students.

“Delaware’s economy remains in a period of significant transition, and we should ensure our schools are teaching the skills that employers demand,” said Governor Carney. “That means connecting Delaware’s educators with our employers, allowing our students to gain practical, work-based experience and retooling our workforce development programs to help students and employers succeed. Work-based learning opportunities like Culinary & Hospitality Management, Engineering, and Allied Health –just a few of the pathways offered at Appoquinimink High School – will help us prepare Delaware’s students to succeed in jobs of the future.”

Delaware launched its Pathways to Prosperity initiative in 2015 to establish partnerships between Delaware employers and educators, and better prepare Delaware’s students for college or a career. In March, the Delaware Pathways Steering Committee presented its Strategic Plan to Governor Carney to expand work-based education.

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Photos from Friday’s visit:

Gov. Carney visits Appoquinimink High School Gov. Carney visits Appoquinimink High School Gov. Carney visits Appoquinimink High School Gov. Carney visits Appoquinimink High SchoolGov. Carney visits Appoquinimink High School