Delaware

Overview

During the 2022-2023 school year, Delaware preschool enrolled 954 children, an increase of 136 from the prior year. State spending totaled $8,804,300, up $2,242,819 (34%), adjusted for inflation, since last year. State spending per child equaled $9,229 in 2022-2023, up $1,207 from 2021-2022, adjusted for inflation. Delaware met 9 of 10 quality standards benchmarks.

What's New

In December 2022, the Delaware Department of Education was awarded a federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) renewal grant for $8 million. Funds are planned to be used for expanding state funded preschool seats to include infant and toddlers, workforce supports for professionals, pilot changes to the Office for Child Care Licensing monitoring and the state’s Quality Improvement System’s verification processes and piloting of the Family Connects Home Visiting Model.

A revised Quality Improvement System was launched July of 2023 with state funded programs receiving targeted support in the form of training, coaching, and technical assistance. In winter 2023, the ECAP program went out to Request for Proposal (RFP). Programs needed to plan for potential changes to their state contract and programming during the 2022-2023 school year, in anticipation of program changes outlined in the RFP.

Background

The Delaware Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) began in 1994, providing comprehensive early learning services for 4-year-olds eligible for the federal Head Start program. Eligibility expanded to 3-year-olds in 2017-2018.

Modeled after the federal Head Start program, ECAP requires participating programs to follow required federal Head Start Program Performance Standards. Per these standards, ten percent of enrollment slots are reserved for children with disabilities; the majority of participating children must live in families with incomes at or below 100% FPL. Since the reauthorization of the federal Head Start program in 2007, up to 35% of enrolled children may live in households up to 130% FPL.

ECAP awards are available to private and public child care programs, such as for-profit child care, Head Start agencies, public schools, community-based organizations, and faith-based centers through an RFP process. Contracts for funded ECAP seats are determined based on Community Needs Assessment Data.

In 2012, Delaware began requiring all ECAP programs to participate in Delaware Stars, the state quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for early childhood programs. All ECAP programs are required to maintain at least a Star 4 out of 5 rating.

Delaware Early Care And Education Programs

Access

Total state pre-K enrollment	954
School districts that offer state program	100% (counties)
Income requirement	100% FPL
Minimum hours of operation	3.5 hours/day; 5 days/week
Operating schedule	160 days/year
Special education enrollment, ages 3 and 4	2,266
Federally funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	1,142
State-funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	0

Resources

*Pre-K programs may receive additional funds from federal or local sources that are not included in this figure. †Head Start per-child spending includes funding only for 3- and 4-year-olds. ‡K–12 expenditures include capital spending as well as current operating expenditures.