Carney, Delaware General Assembly tout investments in child care
DOVER — As the General Assembly prepares for its final week of business ahead of its two-week Easter break, state leaders announced significant investments in Delaware’s child care system …
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Carney, Delaware General Assembly tout investments in child care
By DOVER — As the General Assembly prepares for its final week of business ahead of its two-week Easter break, state leaders announced significant investments in Delaware’s child care system last week.
On Tuesday, Gov. John Carney and Department of Health and Social Services officials outlined commitments, which are in line with the governor’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2025 and follow recent policy efforts in the state legislature.
The state announced that it plans to cap family co-payments at 7% of their income while removing all co-pays for families below 150% of the federal poverty level, as well as increasing compensated absence from five to 10 days, which will provide child care centers with budget stability.
The announcement follows the governor’s commitment to expand purchase of care to those 200% of the federal poverty level and adding more than 200 seats through Delaware’s Early Childhood Assistance Program,
Investments in the state’s childhood assistance imitative and purchase of care have doubled since 2017, as Gov. Carney recommended investments of $83 million in purchase of care and $15.7 million in the assistance program in the upcoming fiscal year.
“We know how critical the first five years of a child’s life are to future academic and career success,” Gov. Carney said in a statement. “Investing in our youngest learners has been a priority of ours from day one, and these investments further that commitment. I want to thank our child care providers for all they do every day to set our children up for future success.”
These investments were applauded by Sens. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Talleyville, and Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, who have spearheaded several early childhood care initiative during their time in the General Assembly.
Doula coverage
Lawmakers advanced several proposals to their next step in the legislative process this week, including further maternal health care initiatives that have been led by House Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown, D-New Castle, in recent years.
House Bill 345 was voted out of the House Health and Human Development Committee on Wednesday. It provides Medicaid coverage for postpartum visits with a doula with the recommendation of a licensed practitioner or clinician.
Since the joint state and federal Medicaid program offers assistance to low-income families and individuals with disabilities, proponents of the bill have praised its ability to ensure safe postnatal care for mothers in the First State.
Following the bipartisan bill’s passage in committee, it heads to the ready list for consideration on the House floor.
Ballot bias
House Minority Leader Mike Ramone, R-Newark, has introduced legislation to provide fairness in the ballot box ahead of this year’s elections.
House Bill 244, which is led by Rep. Ramone in the House of Representatives and Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Camden, in the Senate, will peel back state law that requires one political party to appear first on machine ballots or absentee ballots.
The proposal would implement a randomized structure modeled after a similar California law that has been in place for decades.
The bill has been assigned to the House Administration Committee for consideration, however, it has not yet received bipartisan support. House Bil 244 has 13 sponsors in support of the initiative, though every lawmaker who has signed on are Republicans.
“There really is no excuse for any legislator to vote against a bill that will cost nothing to implement and will explicitly make our election system more fair,” Rep. Ramone said in a statement.
Though the bill was introduced March 13, it is not scheduled for a hearing during Wednesday’s House Administration Committee meeting
McBride campaign
Twenty local unions extended their endorsement of Sen. Sarah McBride ahead of the Sept. 10 Democratic primary for Delaware’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Union representatives stood alongside the congressional candidate in Newark on Thursday morning as Delaware Building and Construction Trades President James Maravelias touted Sen. McBride’s pro-union voting record as a member of the General Assembly.
“For 40 years, far-right extremists have sought to weaken federal protections for workers, undermine the enforcement of national labor laws, and strip workers of their right to organize,” Sen. McBride said in a statement following Thursday’s campaign event. “To restore the American middle class, we must do more to support unions and empower workers in their right to organize.
“On day one, I’ll sign on to the PRO Act. But that’s just the start — together, we will work arm and arm to enhance protections for the right to organize, fully fund agencies looking out for workers, and ensure that as new industries and economies emerge, they are powered by a unionized workforce. With unions fighting with us, I know we can win this fall.”
Sen. McBride is one of two Democratic candidates running to become Delaware’s next congressperson, with former Delaware State Housing Authority Director Eugene Young also in the race.
Donyale Hall, a Dover-based Air Force veteran and businesswoman, is the lone Republican to declare candidacy ahead of this fall’s election season.
