Senate Democratic Senators Kyle Evans Gay and Sarah McBride have introduced two bills, Senate Bill 58 and Senate Bill 59, that aim to improve parents’ access to early child care and education.
There is an Early childhood and After-School education subsidy (Purchase of Care rates) for about 15,000 children who live within 200% of the federal poverty line. The current Purchase of Care rate in New Castle County is much higher than it is in Kent or Sussex County. Senate Bill 59 would require the health department to match the purchase of care rates in Kent and Sussex counties to that of New Castle County. The hope is by increasing the rate in Kent and Sussex Counties, facilities down state will be able to hire more people, allowing them to care for a greater number of children.
| Senate Bill 59 – Matching Purchase of Care Rates in all three counties | Currrent Status – Senate Finance 3/8/23 |
| House Sponsors – Schwartzkopf Moore Cooke Harris Heffernan Longhurst Morrison Parker-Selby Romer Wilson-Anton // Briggs-King Collins Hilovsky Smith | Senate Sponsors – Gay Hoffner Huxtable Lockman Mantzavinos McBride Pinkney Sokola Sturgeon Townsend // Pettyjohn Hocker |
| House Yes Votes – | Senate Yes Votes – |
| House No Votes – | Senate No Votes – |
| House Absents or Not Voting – | Senate Absent or Not Voting – |
Senate Bill 58 would continue the practice of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services not charging parents co-payments if they earn up to 200% of the federal poverty line. These copayments were suspended during the Pandemic and this bill would make that suspension permanent. The legislation would also require the health department to pay childcare providers for up to 15 absent days per child per month for families.
It’s interesting that this bill does not have any Republican co-sponsors, while Senate Bill 59 does.
Both bills were considered and favorably released by the Senate Health & Social Services Committee yesterday and both were placed in the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.
| Senate Bill 58 – Permanent Suspension of Childcare Copayments for families in need | Currrent Status – Senate Finance 3/8/23 |
| House Sponsors – Harris Minor-Brown Baumbach Bolden Longhurst Lynn Morrison Romer Wilson-Anton | Senate Sponsors – Gay McBride Hansen Hoffner Lockman Pinkney Sokola Sturgeon Townsend |
| House Yes Votes – | Senate Yes Votes – |
| House No Votes – | Senate No Votes – |
| House Absents or Not Voting – | Senate Absent or Not Voting – |
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