Bill Text: DE HR26 | 2025-2026 | 153rd General Assembly | Draft
Bill Title: Updating And Continuing Directions To The Department Of Health And Social Services Regarding Reports On Demographic Data In Early Child Care And Education Populations.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Engrossed) 2026-06-18 - Passed By House. Votes: 41 YES [HR26 Detail]
Download: Delaware-2025-HR26-Draft.html
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SPONSOR: |
Rep. Romer |
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY
HOUSE SUBSTITUTE NO. 1
FOR
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 26
UPDATING AND CONTINUING DIRECTIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES REGARDING REPORTS ON DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IN EARLY CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION POPULATIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
WHEREAS, the Purchase of Care (POC) Program in Delaware is a subsidy that provides support for early childhood and after-school education for children from birth through age 12 living within 200 percent of the federal poverty level; and
WHEREAS, funding for POC comes from federal and state sources, which help low-income families pay for their childcare so that parents or guardians can work or receive workforce training; and
WHEREAS, the Delaware Division of Social Services (DSS) is responsible for setting the standards and distributing this benefit to Delawareans; and
WHEREAS, having accurate data is integral to determining appropriate funding for the POC program as well as assisting in formulating policy to expertly build and expand the program; and
WHEREAS, in June 2025, House Resolution No. 14 was enacted, requiring the Department of Health and Social Services to periodically report certain data regarding early childcare; and
WHEREAS, this resolution continues and updates the reporting requirements originally set forth under House Resolution No. 14.
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 153rd General Assembly of the State of Delaware that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is directed to provide reports in November 2026 and February, May, and August 2027 on Delaware POC that details the number of individual children served each month in Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026; the total amount of money spent on POC in Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026; and what portion of the funds came from state, federal, or one-time stimulus sources, parent co-pays, and any other sources. For federal funding sources, DHSS shall provide a breakdown including the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Social Services Block Grant Program (SSBG), and any other funding source and whether those funds are one-time funded. The report must include the following information, if available:
(1) Utilization data by month for FY25 and FY26 including:
a. Authorization and attendance data aggregated for all ages.
b. Authorization and attendance data for school-aged children.
c. Authorization and attendance data for children receiving the enhanced special education reimbursement rate.
d. Number of children in full day, half day, and time and a half care statewide and by county.
e. Number of school age, summer-only children authorized and attending.
f. Number of school age children authorized and attending half day services from September through June, compared to the number of school age children who are authorized and attending full time during the months of July and August.
g. Number of absent days broken down by school age and non-school age children, including the number of children who missed 10 or more days within 3 months .
h. Average monthly attendance, including how many children attend 19 or more days and how many attend fewer than 10 days.
i. Number of applications deemed ineligible and the reasons for ineligibility.
j. Estimated level of duplication of children in reporting and reasons for duplication.
k. An explanation on the limitations of the current eligibility system for producing unduplicated counts and attendance by individual children, as well as the required action steps necessary for DHSS to feasibly and fully provide the data requested by the General Assembly.
(2) Demographics of households who utilize POC, including race, household income range by percentage of federal poverty level, and household type, by county.
(3) A breakdown of POC spending and children served by setting type (center-based, family childcare, license-exempt/FFN).
(4) Number of families who pay co-pays.
(5) Redetermination rates and reasons for case closure at the time of redetermination.
(6) A report on FY27 broken down by state and federal funding, on spending to date by quarter, anticipated spending by quarter, the number of children anticipated to attend each month, and anticipated remaining funding at the end of FY 2027, including any funding held in reserve. The report should include a cost estimation for families and households at 300%, 350%, and 400% of the federal poverty level; cost estimation for extending the graduated phase out to 350%, and 400% of the federal poverty level; and a cost estimation for increasing rates to the federal benchmark of the 75th percentile of the most recent market rate study.
(7) Progress toward implementing policies adopted in the Child Care Development Fund plan.
(8) Any other anticipated or enacted changes in the reporting period to policies including co-payments, absence days, and other changes.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DHSS shall report and summarize cost estimation for the new alternative methodology for rate setting, known as “cost estimation modeling,” which shall be included in the reports. The report shall include cost estimates for paying providers based on the estimated cost of quality care.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DHSS and DOE shall present to the Delaware Early Childhood Council and the Interagency Resource Management Committee (IRMC) data collection and implementation, and the data included in this report. The reports shall be made public on a state website within one week of the published date.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any report described herein must be submitted to the Controller General, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Co-Chairs of the Joint Finance Committee, the Delaware Early Childhood Council, and the Interagency Resource Management Committee (IRMC).
SYNOPSIS
This Resolution builds on House Resolution 14 by directing additional reporting by the Department of Health and Social Services to prepare reports on the Purchase of Care Program.
