Wilmington child care provider gets $1M in funds
Federal money will help to expand, boost access
One Wilmington child care outfit can expect to see $1 million in Community Project Funding from the federal government.
The infusion announced Monday by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester will allow St. Michael’s School and Nursery to bolster access to affordable child care for Wilmington’s most vulnerable families.
The early childhood education provider already serves a majority of working families, many relying on subsidized child care, while the investment promises to strengthen St. Michael’s capacity.
The funding will cover “critically needed capital renovations,” alongside two new classrooms and a Community and Workforce Development Support Center, according to a press release from Blunt Rochester’s office. It joins efforts in coordination with fellow Democrats and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and Chris Coons to secure nearly $154 million in funding for Delaware projects, including over $14 million in Community Project Funding.
“As Delaware continues to face a shortage of child care providers, it’s never been more important to do all we can to invest in our child care facilities that are the lifeline for so many working families across the First State,” said Blunt Rochester in a statement. The lawmaker is also a member of the House Health Subcommittee.
This comes after Gov. John Carney announced additional child care initiatives for Delaware — like limiting copays for families at 7% of family income, removing all co-pays for families below 150% of federal poverty level and increasing compensated absence days from five to 10.
Advocacy for opening eligibility to more families continues.
“Investing in early childhood education today will have a generational impact for working families here in Wilmington and up and down our great state,” said Coons, a member of the Senate’s Appropriations Committee, in the same press release.
St. Michael’s Executive Director Lucinda Ross called it not only “invaluable” support and an acknowledgment of the work her educators are doing — but also to the profession itself. She plans to complete “badly needed” renovations, alongside increasing enrollment and support services.
“There are few early childhood institutions that have the longevity and the history that St. Michael’s has in Delaware,” said Ross in a statement, leading an institution largely serving lowerincome Black and brown families, in a city it has served for more than 130 years.
“The work is done with compassion and an intense commitment to the future of the children in our care. We all come to work each day to see those faces and to plant seeds of hope and to build feelings of competencies.”
She thanked the entire congressional team for the investment.
Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online/ The News Journal and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.
“Investing in early childhood education today will have a generational impact for working families here in Wilmington and up and down our great state.”