Delaware Will Issue Spring 2022 P-EBT Child Care Benefit on Oct. 7 to Children under Age 6 in Households Receiving SNAP Benefits

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 6, 2022) – Delaware families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits will get emergency food assistance through the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program for children under the age of 6 living in their households. Eligible SNAP households will receive the Spring 2022 P-EBT Child Care Benefit for the second half of the 2021-2022 school year (January 2022 through June 2022).

The Division of Social Services will issue the Spring 2022 P-EBT Child Care Benefit on Oct. 7 on behalf of children under the age of 6. A child is eligible for this P-EBT benefit if three conditions were met from January through June 2022:

1. The child was under the age of 6.
2. The child was a member of a household that received SNAP food benefits.
3. The child lived in an area where one or more schools or child-care facilities were closed or operated with reduced attendance or hours because of COVID-19.

The Spring 2022 P-EBT Child Care Benefit covers the months of January, February, March, April, May, and June 2022. For each eligible child under age 6, the SNAP household will receive a standard benefit amount of $36 per month for each month from January through June 2022 that the household received SNAP food benefits.

SNAP households will receive P-EBT benefits on their existing SNAP EBT cards and can use their P-EBT benefits just like SNAP food benefits to buy eligible food items at stores and farmer’s markets that accept SNAP EBT. Households will receive the Spring 2022 P-EBT Child Care Benefit on Oct. 7 for all children under the age of 6 in their homes. Households will only receive P-EBT benefits for children under the age of 6 for the months that the household received SNAP food benefits during the P-EBT period.

“We are grateful to be able to offer this Pandemic EBT Child Care Benefit to eligible families of Delaware’s youngest students,” said Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Molly Magarik. “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted vulnerable families in many significant ways, including having their children miss out on nutritious meals at their child-care centers or schools. We offer our thanks to Delaware’s congressional delegation for extending this important federal food benefit to those families.”

The Division of Social Services estimates that it will issue $5.5 million in P-EBT benefits to the families of approximately 15,850 children under the age of 6 in SNAP households for the 2021-2022 school year.

Eligible SNAP households will receive notification in the mail regarding P-EBT benefits. Households do not need to take any action to receive P-EBT benefits.

The Division of Social Services issued the Fall 2021 P-EBT Childcare Benefit in June 2022 to eligible SNAP households with children under the age of 6 for the first half of the 2021-2022 school year (September 2021 through December 2021).

Please contact the Division of Social Services at 1-866-843-7212 if you have questions about Delaware’s P-EBT Program. More information about the program can be found at: https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dss/pebt.html

Delaware Emitirá el Beneficio P-EBT de Cuidado Infantil de la Primavera del 2022 el 7 de Octubre para Niños menores de 6 Años en Hogares Recibiendo Beneficios SNAP

NEW CASTLE (Octubre 6 de 2022) – Las familias de Delaware que reciben beneficios alimentos del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) obtendrán asistencia de alimentos de emergencia a través del programa de Pandemia de Transferencia Electrónica de Beneficios (P-EBT) para niños menores de 6 años que viven en sus hogares. Los hogares elegibles para SNAP recibirán el beneficio de cuidado infantil P-EBT de la Primavera del 2022 por la segunda mitad del año escolar 2021-2022 (Enero de 2022 a Junio de 2022).

La División de Servicios Sociales emitirá el beneficio de cuidado infantil P-EBT de la Primavera del 2022 el 7 de Octubre en representación de los niños menores de 6 años. Un niño es elegible para este beneficio P-EBT si se cumplieron tres condiciones desde Enero hasta Junio de 2022:

1. El niño es menor de 6 años.
2. El niño fue miembro de un hogar que recibió beneficios de alimentos SNAP.
3. El niño vivió en un área donde una o más escuelas o facilidades de guardería estaban cerradas u operando bajo horas o atendencia debido a COVID-19.

El Beneficio P-EBT de Cuidado Infantil de la Primavera del 2022 cubre los meses de Enero, Febrero, Marzo, Abril, Mayo y Junio de 2022. Por cada niño elegible menor de 6 años, el hogar SNAP recibirá un monto de beneficio estándar de $36 mensuales por cada mes de Enero a Junio del 2022 en que el hogar recibió beneficios de alimentos SNAP.

Los hogares de SNAP recibirán beneficios de P-EBT en sus tarjetas SNAP EBT existentes y pueden usar sus beneficios de P-EBT al igual que los beneficios de alimentos de SNAP para comprar alimentos elegibles en tiendas y mercados de agricultores que acepten SNAP EBT. Los hogares recibirán el Beneficio P-EBT de Cuidado Infantil de la Primavera del 2022 el 7 de Octubre para todos los niños menores de 6 años en sus hogares. Los hogares solo recibirán beneficios de P-EBT para niños menores de 6 años durante los meses en que el hogar recibió beneficios de alimentos SNAP durante el período de P-EBT.

“Estamos agradecidos de poder ofrecer este Beneficio Cuidado infantil de la Pandemia EBT a las familias elegibles de los estudiantes más jóvenes de Delaware,” dijo la Secretaria del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Sociales (DHSS) Molly Magarik. “Desafortunadamente, la pandemia de COVID-19 ha impactado a las familias vulnerables de muchas maneras significativas, incluyendo el hecho que sus hijos se pierdan de comidas nutritivas en sus guarderías o escuelas. Ofrecemos nuestro agradecimiento a la delegación del Congreso de Delaware por extender este importante beneficio federal de alimentos a esas familias”

La División de Servicios Sociales estima que otorgará $5.5 millones en beneficios P-EBT a las familias de aproximadamente 15,850 niños menores de 6 años en hogares SNAP para el año escolar 2021-2022.

Los hogares elegibles de SNAP recibirán una notificación por correo sobre los beneficios de P-EBT. Los hogares no necesitan realizar ninguna acción para recibir los beneficios de P-EBT.

La División de Servicios Sociales emitió el beneficio de cuidado infantil P-EBT del Otoño de 2021 en Junio del 2022 para los hogares elegibles de SNAP con niños menores de 6 años durante la primera mitad del año escolar 2021-2022 (Septiembre de 2021 a Diciembre de 2021).

Por favor contacte a la División de Servicios Sociales al 1-866-843-7212 si tiene preguntas sobre el Programa P-EBT de Delaware. Más información sobre el programa puede ser encontrada en: https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dss/pebt.html

Volunteers sought for spring cleanup day March 14

DOVER, Del. – The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, a DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife facility located in the heart of Delaware’s Bayshore Region and a popular family and school tour destination, will reopen for the 2020 season Wednesday, April 1. The center will be open in April from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. The center’s 2020 schedule through September can be found on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website.

Prior to reopening, the DuPont Nature Center will hold a volunteer spring cleanup day from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 14. Projects include exhibit and tank set-up, planting beach grass, cleaning the center, and trash removal from surrounding grounds. Volunteers under age 18 must have a completed parental consent form, and volunteers under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, contact Lynne Pusey at lynne.pusey@delaware.gov or 302-422-1329.

Located on the edge of Mispillion Harbor at the intersection of the mouths of the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek, the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve offers a variety of interactive exhibits and educational programs. In the spring, the center’s large deck overlooking the harbor offers wildlife watchers an unparalleled view of the spectacle of spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds, including federally-listed threatened red knots that depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey. Indoor saltwater tanks allow a close-up look at a variety of aquatic species, from horseshoe crabs to diamondback terrapins.

The DuPont Nature Center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road, near Slaughter Beach, east of Milford. Admission to the center is free and open to the public. For general information about the center, please call 302-422-1329 or visit the DuPont Nature Center webpage. For inquiries about the center’s programs and operations, please contact Lynne Pusey at lynne.pusey@delaware.gov or 302-422-1329.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 65,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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SKIN CANCER PREVENTION PROGRAM RETURNS FOR WARM WEATHER: #ProtectYourSkinDE.com

 

DOVER The spring and summer sun is back, and so is #ProtectYourSkinDE, a skin cancer prevention campaign from the Division of Public Health (DPH).  Digital, outdoor, and social media efforts will send Delawareans to ProtectYourSkinDE.com, where visitors can find a dermatologist, better educate themselves about how to reduce their skin cancer risk, and learn from the experiences of others.  Delaware’s skin cancer incidence rate is significantly higher than the national average.  The state ranked fourth-highest in the U.S. for incidence of melanoma, the most deadly and often underestimated form of skin cancer, in the most recent published report (2006-2010).

Many people don’t think of skin cancer as deadly. So, unlike other kinds of cancer, the mortality rates are climbing – due in part to a lack of sun protection and also because people are not going to the doctor when they see something suspicious on their skin,” said Heather Brown, DPH Cancer Control Program Director. “Screening leads to early detection – the earlier skin cancer is detected, the better the outcome.”

While the campaign takes place in the spring and summer, UV protection is a year-round effort.  Any combination of long-term sun exposure, sunbathing, sunburns or tanning bed use increases the chance of developing skin cancer. Protection from the sun’s UV rays could prevent 90 percent of all skin cancer cases.  And in a state with significant amounts of beachgoers, farmers, and outdoor workers, DPH works to educate Delawareans about sun protection and increase the number of people getting screened. In-person efforts begin on “Don’t Fry Day” (May 22), when health officials will be next to the Rehoboth Bandstand, offering sunscreen, “sun-sensitive” educational items, and informative games and materials.

Since 80 percent of lifetime ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure occurs during childhood, the campaign will include in-person education with Delaware’s youth.  Several Delaware high schools are participating in a signature contest, where students will pledge to wear SPF 15 or higher sunscreen.  Additionally, health officials will visit summer camps across the state for interactive trivia, a drawing activity, and to hand out sunscreen.

The #ProtectYourSkinDE campaign runs throughout the spring and summer. In-person event visits will include:

Wednesday, May 20

10:35 a.m.

Wilmington Blue Rocks game

801 Shipyard Drive, Wilmington, DE 19801

Friday, May 22

Noon to 4:00 p.m. Don’t Fry Day at the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk

Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Saturday, June 27 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Fifer Orchards Blueberry Festival

1919 Allabands Mill Road, Camden Wyoming, DE 19934

http://www.fiferorchards.com/event/blueberryfestival

Wednesday, July 15 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Family Fun Night at the Brandywine Zoo

1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington, DE 19802

Tuesday, July 28

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Delaware State Fair: Health Fair for Kids

18500 South DuPont Highway, Harrington, DE 19952

 Saturday, Aug. 1

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Fifer Orchards Peach Festival

1919 Allabands Mill Road, Camden Wyoming, DE 19934

http://www.fiferorchards.com/event/annual-peach-ice-cream-day

Saturday, Aug. 8

Zap Amateur World Championships of Skimboarding

New Orleans Street, Dewey Beach, DE 19971

Thursday, Aug. 13

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Family Fun Night at the Brandywine Zoo

1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington, DE 19802

People who are fair-skinned or who have blue or green eyes hold the greatest risk of skin cancer, as well as those exposed to the sun through work and play.  All people must keep a watchful eye out for large or irregularly shaped moles.  Regular self-examinations and visits to a dermatologist are essential.  If the cancer is detected early, it becomes less likely that it will spread to other body parts.

For more information, contact the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program at 2-1-1 or visit ProtectYourSkinDE.com or HealthyDelaware.org.

 

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.  DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages

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Rita Landgraf, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

Delaware Health and Social Services – Division of Public Health

SMART TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SPRING

DOVER – Spring’s warm temperatures bring new opportunities for outdoor recreation and healthy eating. The Division of Public Health (DPH) reminds you that it’s a great time to dust off the bikes, find the tennis balls, and buy more sunscreen. Spring creates more opportunities to be active, like stepping outside for a walk or visiting the park, and to find a local farmers’ market to buy seasonal, healthy fruits and vegetables.

“Spring is a great time to get more active and eat healthier. Most people feel better after walking, jogging, bicycling, playing tennis, or playing with their kids at the park,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Becoming more physically active reduces the chance of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Fitness also reduces stress and helps prevent heart attacks and strokes.” Just remember to prevent injuries by wearing protective gear, including bicycle helmets and reflective walking clothes.

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) recommends following the 5-2-1 Almost None formula for healthy behavior: eating at least 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day, watching no more than two hours of recreational screen time daily, getting 1 hour of physical activity each day, and drinking almost no sugar-sweetened drinks. Remember to opt for water when replacing those sugary beverages. For more information about 5-2-1 Almost None, visit http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/521almostnone.html.

With two-thirds of Delaware adults and children carrying excess weight, more physical activity can help them reach a healthier weight. Try walking for 10 minutes daily, then slowly increase the amount you walk a day. Being physically active does not have to be an intense workout either; physical activity can include dancing, gardening, or playing with your kids. For more fun tips on physical activity, visit www.getupanddosomething.org.

Eat the wonderful and fresh produce that is available. Delaware’s Buy Local Guide, at http://de.gov/buylocal, can connect you with local farm stands, farmers’ markets and other sources of fresh, local foods and products from Delaware family farms. You can also connect to the Delaware Fresh app on your mobile device and find locations near you. To improve your diet, choose low-fat dairy products with reduced saturated and total (trans) fat. (Ideal total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dl.) Also select low-sodium prepared foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults aim for no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

To reduce the possibility of a heart attack or stroke, adults should maintain these recommended waist sizes: for women, less than 35 inches; for men, less than 40 inches; for Asian men, 35 inches; and for Asian women, 32 inches. Persons with results outside these ranges are considered at risk and should visit their healthcare provider. For heart-healthy recipes and news, visit www.facebook.com/millionheartsdelaware.

This is also the season to do some spring cleaning. Mold and household dusts can trigger asthma attacks. DPH recommends reading cleaning product labels and taking recommended precautions to prevent accidentally poisoning household members. Air fresheners, laundry supplies, dry-cleaned clothes, moth repellents and pesticides, and cosmetics may contain chemicals linked with cancer. Consider using products with natural ingredients. For more tips, visit DPH’s Healthy Homes website, http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/hsp/healthyhomes.html.

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. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

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Rita Landgraf, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

Delaware Health and Social Services – Division of Public Health