Toni Dickerson is Resource and Referral Administrator at Sussex Preschools and Chair of the Child Care Association of Sussex County.
By Toni Dickerson
As educators, my family started Sussex Preschools with a clear vision: to offer affordable and convenient child care and summer school programs for hardworking parents and caregivers in rural Sussex County. Today, we’re proud to own and operate four locations, serving approximately 300 families — and hopefully making their lives a little easier.
I am constantly encouraging my employees to seek out opportunities to advance their careers and improve their personal lives. Like many employers, I know that when my staff members are thriving, so is my business.
So, when Delaware EARNS launched in July 2024, I was thrilled that it enabled me to start offering my employees a way to save for retirement. Of our 53 eligible employees at Sussex Preschools, 49 are actively participating in Delaware EARNS. Some contribute as little as $25 a paycheck, but the average is between $100 and $150. That may not seem like a lot, but for my employees, it’s been life changing. It’s savings they’ve never had before!
As of June 4, 2025, those 49 employees have collectively contributed a total of $29,500. And seeing for themselves that this money is fully theirs for retirement, they’ve started exploring other saving options. Some of them have started utilizing other benefits offered by the state, such as 529 education accounts for their children.
For employers, Delaware EARNS may seem like just another burdensome requirement to fulfill. But it’s not as time consuming as you may think. Onboarding my team took less than an hour and a half. Since then, our payroll processing system has taken over, and I’m essentially hands-off — other than also contributing to my own retirement through the program and monitoring the platform.
And who doesn’t appreciate a benefit that helps with recruitment and retention? Employees I would have lost to other jobs are now staying because of Delaware EARNS. We also have high school interns who have applied for full-time positions so they can take advantage of the program. They’re excited to open their first retirement savings plans once they’re eligible at the age of eighteen.
To employees: Take the chance. It will be worth it in the long run. It’s hard to start saving for retirement when you’re concerned about the money you need now, but starting small today can make a huge difference later. Speak with your employer about setting up your account and explore EARNSDelaware.com to find helpful resources on getting started. There’s even an easy-to-use retirement calculator that can show you how much you can potentially save — and earn.
Delaware EARNS is required for Delaware employers with more than five W-2 employees, but I would have joined even if it wasn’t. The benefits have far exceeded my expectations, and I’m truly grateful that I can give my employees — and myself — an opportunity to save for the future.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
