Delaware Will Issue Final Monthly Emergency Benefits Feb. 28 to All SNAP Households

Emergency Cash Benefits for Eligible TANF, General Assistance Households Continue until May

NEW CASTLE (Feb. 24, 2023) – The Delaware Division of Social Services will issue emergency benefits for February to eligible households as part of the State’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Due to a recent change in federal law passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, this will be the final emergency benefits payment as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Emergency benefits paid as part of two cash assistance programs – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance (GA) – will continue until the end of the federal Public Health Emergency in May.

The SNAP emergency food benefit will be available on recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards Tuesday, Feb. 28. Eligible TANF and GA households will receive an emergency cash benefit check on or after Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Beginning March 1, 2023, SNAP households will receive their regular monthly food benefit amount on the normal issuance date and will no longer receive additional emergency food benefits on their EBT cards at the end of each month. More information and resources around this change can be found at de.gov/snapchanges.

“Delaware families needed these emergency food benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic to help put healthy food on the table,” said Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Molly Magarik. “We know the need for help is still there even as the federal emergency payments are coming to an end. There are community resources that may be available to those in need and we are working with our partners to prepare for this change.”

DHSS encourages Delawareans in need of food assistance to contact Delaware 2-1-1 by calling 2-1-1 or visiting delaware211.org to find the nearest food closet or pantry or visit the Food Bank of Delaware’s website at fbd.org.

Through the end of February, all households with open SNAP cases will receive at least $95 in emergency food benefits, to be issued as follows:

  1. SNAP households receiving the maximum food benefit amount for their household size or a prorated initial benefit will receive $95 in emergency food benefits.
  2. SNAP households with a calculated emergency food benefit amount less than $95 will have their emergency benefit increased to $95.
  3. SNAP households with a calculated emergency benefit amount of $95 or more will continue to receive the calculated emergency benefit amount to increase the household’s monthly benefit up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size.

The emergency assistance for TANF and GA families increases a household’s monthly benefit for each program up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size. Households that already receive the maximum TANF or GA benefit amount or that have a prorated benefit in the month of February are not eligible for the February emergency cash funds. Emergency cash benefits will continue through May 2023 when the federal COVID-19 public health emergency expires.

DHSS has issued emergency benefits each month to eligible households since March 2020.

How the monthly emergency benefit is calculated: A household’s monthly emergency benefit equals the current maximum benefit amount for the household size minus the household’s current monthly benefit amount. For example, based on current USDA limits for SNAP benefits, if a household of one gets $100 in regular monthly benefits, that household will receive $181 in emergency benefits ($281 maximum benefit minus $100 monthly benefit).

Here are the current maximum monthly benefit amounts per household size for SNAP, TANF, and General Assistance:

Emergency SNAP Benefits

Number in SNAP Household Maximum Benefit Amount
1 $281
2 $516
3 $740
4 $939
5 $1,116
6 $1,339
7 $1,480
8 $1,691
Each Additional Person $211

An estimated 60,800 Delaware households will receive the emergency SNAP allotment in February, totaling about $12.9 million in emergency food benefits for the month.

Emergency Cash Benefits

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Number in TANF Household Maximum Benefit Amount
1 $201
2 $270
3 $338
4 $407
5 $475
6 $544
7 $612
8 $681
9 $750
10 $819

General Assistance (GA)

Number in GA Household Maximum Benefit Amount
1 $79
2 $107
3 $144
4 $169
5 $209
6 $239

An estimated 190 households will be eligible to receive emergency cash assistance benefits in February, totaling about $ 25,000 in emergency benefits for the month.

In addition to the emergency benefits, households will receive their regular benefits for February on the usual issuance dates.

Households should report to DSS any recent changes in address, household size, employment, income, and expenses (such as rent/mortgage, utilities, and child care). Households can report changes by logging in to Delaware ASSIST, calling 1-866-843-7212, or contacting their local DSS office.

For more information about DSS’s benefit programs in response to the pandemic, go to the division’s webpage. To screen for and apply for benefits, go to DHSS’ online application portal Delaware ASSIST or call 1-866-843-7212.


Secretary Magarik Announces Leadership Changes at Department of Health and Social Services

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 8, 2021) – Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Molly Magarik today announced five leadership changes for the organization involving four divisions and one of the Department’s Deputy Secretary positions.

The changes:

Sarah Noonan Davis, who has served in leadership roles at the University of Delaware and Westside Family Healthcare, has been named Deputy Secretary for Special Populations, Strategic Planning and Innovation. In her new role, Noonan Davis will focus on special populations, as well as strategic planning and innovative practices that are needed to move the department into the 21st century. She will oversee the Divisions of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities Services, Visually Impaired, and Management Services. Noonan Davis previously served as Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations at the University of Delaware and as Deputy Director and Associate Deputy Director at Westside Family Healthcare, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), with health centers in New Castle and Kent counties.

Noonan Davis graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 2004 and a Master of Public Administration in 2006, and is working on her Doctor of Urban Affairs and Public Policy in Health Policy from UD.

She replaces Lisa Bond, who left DHSS for a position in the private sector. Noonan Davis, who lives in Wilmington, will begin in her role on March 1, and will join Tanisha Merced, who serves as Deputy Secretary of Policy and Social Services for DHSS. Together with Secretary Magarik, they will ensure that the service delivery and support for DHSS leadership, staff, community partners and clients remain strong during the COVID-19 pandemic, while beginning to advance the goals and initiatives outlined in the DHSS strategic plan.

“In her role as Deputy Secretary, Sarah Noonan Davis will bring her experience serving Delawareans in various roles and also her countless community relationships to help lead our agency during these critical times,” Secretary Magarik said. “Until the pandemic is over and all Delawareans who want the vaccine have received it, our highest priority is continuing to coordinate with our providers on service delivery, along with the services that DHSS provides directly to people in need. In addition, Sarah’s talents and skills will be critical as our agency, staff, providers and clients make the transition to a post-COVID world, and we refocus on meeting the needs of the communities we serve.”

In addition to the Deputy Secretary announcement, Secretary Magarik also announced these leadership changes:

Dava Newnam, who has been Director of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) and has served in various roles at DHSS for 20 years, has been named Director of the Division of Management Services (DMS). Newnam will serve as the Chief Operating Officer for the department, with responsibilities of managing a $3 billion budget and 3,500 employees. As Director of DSAAPD since August 2017, Newnam led more than 700 employees and was responsible for directing the state-run Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill in Smyrna; community-facing units serving about 20,000 vulnerable Delawareans older than 60; and the Adult Protective Services unit, which protects vulnerable adults who are at risk of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation. She has earned degrees in Psychology from St. Petersburg Junior College and Delaware Technical and Community College. Newnam, who lives in Wilmington with her family, will begin her new role on Jan. 11.

Melissa Smith, who has been Deputy Director of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) since November 2018, has been named its Director. Smith has served in various roles at DHSS for the past 16 years, including as planning supervisor and long-term care planner in DSAAPD and deputy director and director of planning at the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH). Before joining DHSS, she served as analyst with the Government Accountability Office and as an analyst with the Office of Inspector General in the U.S. Department of Justice. Smith earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Delaware and also a Master’s Degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy. Smith, who lives in Newark with her family, will begin her new role on Jan. 11.

Thomas Killian Jr., who has been serving as Regional Director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, has been named Director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH). He will begin his new role on Jan. 19. Alexis Teitelbaum, who has been serving as Acting Director, will return to her previous role as Deputy Director for DSAMH.

Killian, who is a licensed Behavior Specialist, has more than 14 years of experience in behavioral health services, including the past eight in leadership positions at nonprofits and university-affiliated psychiatric institutes and clinics. Since April 2020, he has served as Regional Director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, where he led efforts to provide stability and standardization of the Behavioral Health Service Line over three hospitals in Altoona and Somerset, Pa., and Cumberland, Md., and provided oversight for both inpatient and ambulatory services within these hospitals and communities. He supervised department heads, presided over training, and was responsible for fiscal management, hiring, building relationships with partners, clients and community, and strategic planning. He previously served as Executive Director at Garrett County Lighthouse, Inc., in Oakland, Md., Associated Clinical Director at Keystone Human Services in Harrisburg, Pa., Primary Inpatient Therapist at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute in Harrisburg, Pa.; and Program Manager at Pennsylvania Treatment and Healing in Pottsville, Pa.

Killian earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, both from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa.; a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Phoenix; and is working on Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology from Northcentral University in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Faith Mwaura, who has been a Senior Social Services Administrator in the Division of State Services Service Centers (DSSC), has been appointed as its Deputy Director. Mwaura, who has been with the division since 2010, previously served as Social Services Administrator, where her duties included administering federal grants and state-funded Community Food Programs, and developing the Community Services Block Grant State Plan. Her current duties as a member of the division’s leadership team include monitoring, directing and overseeing federal, state and private funding that benefits low-income and vulnerable Delawareans. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Wisconsin Lutheran College and a Master’s Degree in Urban Development and Public Policy from the University of Delaware. Mwaura replaces Cynthia Manlove, who retired after almost 40 years of service to the people of Delaware at DHSS. Mwaura, who lives in New Castle with her family, will begin her new role Jan. 17.

“I am excited to have these five individuals in these critical positions,” Magarik said. “They all have important experience in reaching out to employees, clients, providers, and other community partners; innovating even during challenging circumstances; and doing the hard work of strategic planning. I want to offer a special thanks to Alexis Teitelbaum for her leadership of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health for the past four months, and I know she will help provide important support to Thomas Killian as he transitions into his role.”

The Department of Health and Social Services, with about 3,500 employees, is responsible for meeting the health and social service needs of Delawareans by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency and protecting vulnerable populations.


Delaware Added to SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot Program

Starting in July, households can use SNAP benefits to order eligible foods from three retailers

NEW CASTLE (June 17, 2020) – The Division of Social Services has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide households with access to purchase food online using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Beginning in July, households will be able to use the food benefits on their Delaware SNAP EBT cards to order groceries online through three USDA authorized retailers – Amazon, ShopRite, and Walmart. Households may use their SNAP food benefits to shop and pay for eligible food items online, but they will not be able to use SNAP benefits to pay for service, delivery, or membership fees. SNAP households will receive information about this new program in the coming weeks.

Delaware’s SNAP Online Purchasing Program is part of a USDA pilot program to provide SNAP recipients with greater access to healthy and fresh food options. The program started in a few states in 2019 to test the feasibility and implications of allowing retail food stores to accept SNAP benefits through online transactions. The USDA opened the program to all states this spring to give individuals and families an additional way to shop for groceries during the COVID-19 emergency, which resulted in new health and safety guidelines that have made it challenging for many families to travel and shop.

The Division of Social Services is implementing SNAP Online Purchasing to ensure that SNAP recipients have equal access to food purchasing options and can meet their food needs during the pandemic.

The SNAP Online Purchasing Program will benefit more than 61,000 SNAP households in Delaware. “This program will ensure that individuals and families who may have difficulty getting to the grocery store continue to have access to nutritious foods,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a practicing family physician. “The ability to buy food online will also help these households follow social distancing guidelines as Delaware continues to take precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19.”

To screen for eligibility and to apply for SNAP or other benefits in Delaware, go to DHSS’ online portal, ASSIST

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


Governor Carney Announces Leadership Changes at Department of Health and Social Services

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday announced that Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker will leave her current role as the head of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) this summer to join Nemours’ National Office of Policy and Prevention in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Walker, who has served as Secretary of the largest agency in Delaware’s state government since February 2017, is

leaving her position to fulfill a desire to pursue health care policy work at the national level. She will serve in Nemours’ Washington office as Senior Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer. In addition to leading the Department of Health and Social Services’ ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary Walker has led work at DHSS to:

  • Develop first-in-the-nation health care spending and quality benchmarks in Delaware while slowing the growth rate of health care spending;
  • Establish a reinsurance program in Delaware that reduced premiums by up to 19% on the individual insurance market in its first year and increased the number of people with coverage;
  • Fund a reduction in a long-standing wait list for services among seniors and adults with physical disabilities;
  • Create new Medicaid managed care contracts that embed paying for value in health care instead of volume and include quality metrics;
  • Hire former Wilmington Police Chief Bobby Cummings to head the Group Violence Intervention program;
  • Establish the Delaware Integrated Data System to support individuals and families in Wilmington impacted by violence;
  • Expand the Community Partner Support Unit to address social service needs for individuals and families in the communities in which the unit serves;
  • Reduce the barriers to individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorder, including launching an online treatment referral system;
  • Launch the My Healthy Community web portal, encouraging communities to assess the overall health of their residents for chronic diseases, mental illness and substance use, maternal and child health, and now COVID-19;
  • Train more than 1,000 front-line employees in a trauma-informed approach;
  • Raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 and make healthy beverages the default drink in kids’ meals; and
  • Expand Medicaid dental coverage to adults, including individuals with disabilities.

“Since the day I took office as Governor, Dr. Walker has been a central part of the most qualified and diverse cabinet in Delaware’s history,” said Governor Carney. “Over the last several years, she has managed our health and social services programs with grace, poise, and with a steadfast focus on helping the Delawareans who are most in need. Kara’s compassionate leadership has been so incredibly important this year, as Delaware has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership during this difficult time has saved lives, and helped Delaware respond successfully to this disease. Now we all need to do our part. Stay socially distant. Wear a face covering. Kara’s voice and leadership will be sorely missed in Delaware, but I’m confident she will continue to do great things at Nemours.”

“It was an incredible honor to be chosen by Governor Carney to lead the team at DHSS and to be entrusted with meeting the needs of the people of Delaware,” said Dr. Walker. “It has been one of the highlights of my life to come back to my home state and lead the dedicated team of women and men here at DHSS. During the pandemic, I witnessed our team come together as never before and figure out new ways of meeting the health and social service needs of the people we are sworn to serve. I am grateful to the Governor’s office, our fellow state agencies, the legislators, community partners and residents of Delaware for the faith they had in me and our entire Department. While I know that we advanced many health and social service policies during my tenure, I will always wish that I had more time, because there is more work to address health equity, health care costs and access to care up and down our state, but particularly for vulnerable populations.”

Governor Carney will nominate Molly Magarik, who currently serves as Deputy Secretary of DHSS, to serve as the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services.

The agency, with 11 divisions and more than 4,000 employees, is responsible for meeting the health and social service needs of Delawareans by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency and protecting vulnerable populations.

The Delaware Senate is expected to consider Deputy Secretary Magarik’s nomination later this month.

“Molly is a proven leader, a problem solver, and a committed public servant who has been second-in-command at DHSS for the last three and a half years,” said Governor Carney. “Throughout her career, and especially as Deputy Secretary, Molly built important relationships and trust with members of the General Assembly, our health care systems, agency staff, and Delawareans throughout the state. As we continue to fight COVID-19, I’m confident Molly will be able to lead this department without missing a beat, while continuing our work to make Delaware a stronger and healthier state. I look forward to the Senate considering her nomination.”

“I am truly humbled and incredibly honored to be nominated by Governor Carney as the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services,” said Deputy Secretary Magarik. “I am grateful to the Governor for the trust and faith he has in me to lead this agency, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to serve in his Cabinet. I thank Secretary Walker for her leadership and guidance, and for the inspiring way she had led our Department for more than three years with an innovative spirit, a caring heart and an incredible commitment to improving the quality of life for Delawareans.”

Magarik has served as Deputy Secretary since February 2017, directing and managing key priorities for DHSS, including health care financing, payment and delivery system reform; budget administration and management; and early childhood education. She also served as the Department’s chief strategy officer, and developed and maintained critical partnerships with Delaware cabinet agency leaders, the legislature, the federal delegation, advocates, and health care system leadership throughout the state.

Before joining DHSS, Magarik served as State Director for then Congressman John Carney and Political Director for Beau Biden’s campaign for Attorney General. She also worked as a strategic advisor across nonprofits and government, including as Executive Director of the Delaware Democratic Party. She is a candidate for a Master’s of Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Government from the University of Delaware. She and her husband, Josh, have two daughters and live in Middletown. 

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State Releases Preliminary Look at Health Care Spending in 2018

Report Is Latest Step in Effort to Analyze Cost and Quality of Care in Delaware

DOVER (June 4, 2020) – The Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) has released preliminary data on health-care spending in the state in calendar year 2018, the latest step in the state’s effort to reduce health care spending and improve quality of care for Delawareans.

The report, available here, follows the establishment in late 2018 of a state health care spending benchmark, a per-annum rate-of-growth benchmark for health care spending. The first benchmark went into effect Jan. 1, 2019, and was set at 3.8 percent, with the target expected to decrease gradually to 3.0 percent over the following three years.

The DHCC collected spending data from calendar year 2018 to provide a preliminary basis for calculating the state’s health care spending performance and to serve as a baseline for 2019 spending growth calculations. The 2018 baseline data collection also allowed the state’s health insurers and the DHCC to test payers’ data-submission methods and identify areas for improvement.

The DHCC is scheduled to collect 2019 medical expense data from insurers this summer. As part of the next round of benchmark data collection, health care insurers will be asked to resubmit their 2018 data to incorporate any updates to collection methods to ensure better year-over-year comparisons. Because of that, the DHCC expects the next set of 2018 data to differ from that released today.

The state plans to release its 2019 health-care spending performance as measured against the 3.8 percent benchmark early next year.

The release of the preliminary spending data from 2018 marks another step along the state’s “Road to Value” initiative to improve access to affordable, quality health care for all Delawareans. That effort remains vitally important while Delaware addresses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, said Dr. Kara Odom Walker, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, a member of the Delaware Health Care Commission and a practicing family physician.

“We need to support our health care system to rebound from the global pandemic with value-based goals so it can be stronger than ever,” Secretary Walker said. “Now, more than ever, our vision to improve transparency and public awareness of spending and quality in our state through the adoption of spending and quality benchmarks will assist in these efforts.”

To learn more about Delaware’s health care spending and quality benchmarks, visit the Delaware Health Care Commission website.

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