Wilmington is near the bottom of a new list ranking cities on the best places to raise a family. (Fabian Centeno photo from Unsplash)

Wilmington, Dover called poor places to raise a family

Ken MammarellaCulture, Headlines

Wilmington is near the bottom of a new list of America’s best cities to raise a family. It’s 173rd out of 182 cities on the list from WalletHub, a personal finance website. Dover is 139th. In a stunning contrast, WalletHub a few months ago ranked Wilmington eighth on its list of best places to retire. Dover ranked 36th on that …

The second round of bonuses for child care workers will be for $700. (Unsplash)

Delaware offers second round of child care worker bonuses

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Tiny Tots Childcare Director Jessica Burns got good news Wednesday: A second round of relief checks for Delaware’s child care professionals. That will help her workers pay for their certifications, which cost between $300 and $500, she said. “This definitely is a retention effort by the state,” she said. “My staff is very, very excited and hoping to get to …

Child care affordability and access (Unsplash)

Child care report: First State lacks affordable options

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A new report from Rodel shows that First State families do not have adequate access to affordable child care. A coalition of advocacy groups – including Rodel, the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children, Delaware Readiness Teams and the First State Pre-K – conducted a survey with hundreds of Delaware families to gauge their feelings about child care …

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Del. child care worker registry open; $1,000 bonuses going out

Charles MegginsonEducation, Headlines

Delaware child care workers can now enroll in a registry that will allow them to receive their $1,000 direct relief payment from the state, the Department of Education announced Friday. Payments are available to all child care professionals who are at least 18 years of age, work in licensed Delaware child care programs, interact directly with children for at least …

a group of people sitting at a table

Child care bonuses set at $1,000; registry to open soon

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

The Department of Education is finalizing a registry that will allow child care workers in Delaware to apply for the direct financial relief they were promised six months ago. They may not get as much as initially expected. By estimating the number of providers who would qualify for assistance, Gov. John Carney and the Delaware Department of Education in Nov. …

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Child care workers still waiting for promised $1,500 state bonuses

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Three months after Delaware’s child care workers were promised direct financial relief in the form of $1,500 individual payments, they haven’t received a cent. Those workers may not receive any money until as late as June because the state is constructing a new registry to track who’s working in child care centers throughout the state. That registry will also be …

a group of people standing together smiling for the camera

Child care providers, DSU to receive millions in COVID-19 relief funds

Charles MegginsonEducation, Government, Headlines

Flanked by Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, Gov. John Carney and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, DSU President Tony Allen holds two beneficiaries of the governor’s initiative to strengthen early childhood education in Delaware – the 2021-22 Little Mr. and Miss DSU, Corey Bazemore and Alessandra Spence. Photo courtesy of Delaware State University.  With Delaware’s unemployment rate hovering around 5 percent, state …