Families and child care providers in Delaware continue to struggle to make ends meet, despite some positive gains in recent years.

Let’s help Gov. Matt Meyer and his administration follow through on their commitment to provide access to universal pre-K throughout the state. This year, serve at least 5,500 more children by investing more state dollars and allow more families to access care by increasing eligibility.

Some progress has been made in recent years, and some promising things are on the horizon

But there are still significant child care needs today in Delaware:

• Less than 1 in 5 children are served in public programs: We are a long way from universal. Only 19% of children under age 5 are served in publicly funded child care.

• Care is too expensive for many families, costing as much as a mortgage payment and college tuition. Only families earning below $65,000 yearly (below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level) can access state-sponsored programs.

• Parents can’t work, which holds back our economy: More than 1 in 3 Delaware parents have turned down a job or promotion, cut hours, or left work to meet child care demands, while 2 in 3 employers report frequent absences or reduced hours among staff due to child care issues. Nearly 40% of families say the state is becoming “unlivable” because of child care challenges, and more than 1 in 4 caregivers have considered leaving Delaware altogether. Employers cite lost productivity, unusual turnover, and staffing gaps that occur weekly—even daily—as a result of the child care crisis.

• Child care providers want to offer more openings to families but cannot due to low rates of state reimbursement and staffing shortages. The Purchase of Care rate the state pays to providers is far below the true cost of quality care and education, and well below the national minimum benchmark of the 75th percentile of the market rate (at the 50th percentile). Low rates contribute to significant challenges for compensating and retaining staff.

While this request is focused on FY27 budget, the state needs to make longer-term, transformational investments that expand access to all Delaware families.

Contact Governor Matt Meyer and your legislator through this message to say:

Please make early childhood care and education a priority in the budget—invest to expand access to serve more families and ensure programs are high -quality:

Department of Education: Increase access to state-funded pre-K (ECAP)

1. Expand access for 500 more children

2. Increase eligibility to serve families up to at least 300% of the Federal Poverty Level

3. Provide infrastructure funds to expand early care and education capacity through grants and by allowing public school capital funding to cover pre-K

Department of Health and Social Services: Increase access to child care (Purchase of Care) for more families

1. Increase per-child Purchase of Care rates to at least the federal benchmark of the 75th percentile so programs can open more classrooms and increase staff pay and benefits 

2. Expand eligibility to serve families up to at least 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (making about 5,000 more families eligible)