Delaware Rolls Out Early Childhood Plan

Children and families across Delaware will benefit greatly from new commitments to improve the quality of early learning and development. Vision 2015 is a strong supporter of early childhood education, one of six core elements of the Vision plan and recommendations. Earlier this year, Governor Markell’s leadership and the General Assembly’s dedication to the state’s youngest learners resulted in a $22 million investment that has enabled stakeholders to develop a plan to strengthen the profession and incentivize higher quality programs, targeting more resources to high-need children.

Delaware’s early childhood plan includes commitments that directly align with the recommendations of Vision 2015 and Race to the Top:

Providing funding and support to early childhood centers to improve their quality;
Expanding the Delaware STARS program to build awareness and demand among parents for high quality programs;
Providing incentives to members of the workforce to achieve higher levels of education and work in high-need, high-quality centers;
Bolstering professional development for early childhood center directors and employees, including embedded coaching and networks of providers with similar needs;
Strengthening coordination of services across agencies;
Focusing on the whole child, to promote children’s social, emotional, and physical development;
Establishing a process for assessing and supporting kindergarten readiness, to inform instruction and services for children, as well as to provide data to policymakers; and
Promoting alignment with K-12 work underway, including establishing “readiness teams” that will bring together community members, families, early childhood providers, K-12 teachers and leaders, and nonprofit partners.

On Wednesday, October 19, Delaware joined 35 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico in submitting an application for funding to the Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC). The plan developed by the "Kids" Department, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Social Services with input from hundreds of stakeholders statewide closely aligns with the criteria developed by the U.S. Education Department. Delaware is eligible for up to $50 million. Delaware’s application demonstrates a strong commitment from stakeholders--with 43 letters of support; the intention to build on progress to date to catalyze even greater change; and aggressive targets to build kindergarten readiness, improve program quality, and target high-need children.