Delaware's middle-income families struggle with cost of child care: Education Roundup

Kelly Powers, Delaware News Journal
·5 min read

Delaware families are still struggling to find child care.

Middle income families face the brunt of inaccessibility, according to the results of a new parents survey, as many struggle to afford care but earn too much to qualify for any state-funded programs.

In brighter news, a Wilmington student is among 27 nationwide to receive a Sallie Mae’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors this year. And, Delaware State is prepping technology for the moon.

In this weekly roundup, we'll catch you up on some education updates you may have missed.

[Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com.]

Rodel's family survey underscores child care challenges in Delaware

A classroom usually buzzing with students sits empty at St. Michael's in Wilmington. The school and nursery temporarily closed to children in March of 2020 due to the spread of coronavirus.
A classroom usually buzzing with students sits empty at St. Michael's in Wilmington. The school and nursery temporarily closed to children in March of 2020 due to the spread of coronavirus.

Half of respondents said child care costs more than their groceries. About 43% said it costs more than their car payments, for 49% more than utilities.

For a third of parents, the cost was more expensive than their mortgage payment.

Delaware's middle-income families are struggling to afford child care, a survey released last Friday shows.

Families continue to face strained supply and high costs for that care, according to the Rodel Foundation, while some 44% said they can't find a program with room, can't find a program that fits their schedules or cannot afford it.

Over 400 parents responded to the survey in September. A coalition including Rodel, the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children, YMCA of Delaware, Delaware Readiness Teams, St. Michael's School and Nursery and the First State Pre-K coalition led the charge.

Too many kids, not enough child care: Delaware families facing job woes amid shortages

“We are seeing more and more families who are unable to enroll their children in child care centers because of the cost,” said Karen Hartz, director of early childhood services for the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington. “They no longer qualify for child care assistance through the state, but paying for child care out of their salary does not make economic sense."

A family of four must earn less than $55,000 — or 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level — to be eligible for publicly funded child care in Delaware, if they make it off waitlists. According to Rodel, that's leaving an estimated 62% of zero-to-five-year-olds ineligible.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland offer child care assistance to families earning up to 250 or 300% of the federal poverty level. Look out for more coverage on this, and explore more survey data online.

Another angle: Delaware has procedures to investigate issues at child care centers. But are they working?

Wilmington student among 27 nationwide scholarship winners

Wide sidewalks and grassy areas normally barred to traffic are open to vehicles as upperclassmen move in to the University Village section on the Delaware State University campus in Dover, Saturday, August 26, 2023.
Wide sidewalks and grassy areas normally barred to traffic are open to vehicles as upperclassmen move in to the University Village section on the Delaware State University campus in Dover, Saturday, August 26, 2023.

One of Wilmington's own falls among 27 nationwide recipients of Sallie Mae’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors this year.

Na’Zari Donegal-Pringle, currently a freshman at Delaware State University, was selected from over 1,100 applicants based on his "academic performance and moral character inside and outside the classroom," according to Sallie Mae.

This is the third year Sallie Mae and Thurgood Marshall College Fund have provided scholarships to high school students of up to $10,000 each to expand opportunities and help access higher education. Donegal-Pringle plans to use his award to follow in his grandfather's footsteps.

Uplifting read: Delaware school community fuels program to help immigrant families read with their kids

The Delaware native will continue studying business, with the hopes of becoming an entrepreneur, while his award lightens any financial burden.

“Our commitment to students from historically underrepresented communities is realized through programs like The Sallie Mae Fund’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship,” said Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund, in a statement.

“We are grateful for this ongoing partnership and shared mission of making higher education more accessible and affordable.”

Cybersecurity programs launch for Delaware students

Students play video games during the Game Concepts class at Saint Mark's High School's state-of-the-art esports arena in Pike Creek on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Game Concepts is offered to juniors and seniors.
Students play video games during the Game Concepts class at Saint Mark's High School's state-of-the-art esports arena in Pike Creek on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Game Concepts is offered to juniors and seniors.

High school students can now register for CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack programs.

These national programs help explore potential cybersecurity talent. According to DDOE, any participant in high school or early college has the chance to win scholarships and statewide recognition.

"All Delawareans need to understand the potential of cybersecurity both for their professional and personal development," said Gov. John Carney in a statement. "Whether cybersecurity is a potential career pathway or learning about self-protection against cyber criminals, it’s on all of us to learn more to keep Delaware secure."

Both programs are free for schools and students. The CyberStart and Cyber FastTrack programs offer a series of online challenges that allow participants to act as cyber protection agents to solve cybersecurity-related puzzles and explore related topics such as code-breaking, programming, networking and digital forensics.

More information is available online.

Last week, ICYMI: New Delaware project aims to accelerate special education certification: Education roundup

Delaware State lands NASA grant

Mohammed Amir Khan (left) is the principal investigator and Yuri Markushin the Co-PI of a $899,000 grant from NASA, while both serve as faculty in the Delaware State University Physics and Engineering Program.
Mohammed Amir Khan (left) is the principal investigator and Yuri Markushin the Co-PI of a $899,000 grant from NASA, while both serve as faculty in the Delaware State University Physics and Engineering Program.

Delaware State University is headed to the moon.

Well, thanks to a $899,000 grant from the National Aeronautical Space Agency, the Dover institution's engineering and optics expertise will be heading toward a coming Lunar Land Rover Mission.

Professor Mohammed Amir and associate professor Yuri Markushin will design and develop "infrared sensing and laser technology" to be installed on the rover — enabling the "detection and correlation of water isotopes with the characteristics of the elemental composition of lunar rocks and dust," according to Delaware State. Students will help them do just that.

"NASA wants to use the Moon to see how humans can live outside of the earth’s environment," said Khan, professor and director of the Engineer Physics Program, in a university announcement. "The detection of water isotopes is an important factor in that question.”

Delaware State will also be holding an unrelated "Observatory Open House and Astronomy Presentation" at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18 in the Mishoe Science Center (South) on campus. The Open House is free and open to the public, and attendees will be able to climb up to the University’s Astronomical Observatory and look through the telescope, weather permitting.

More: With $899K from NASA, Delaware State will aid Lunar Land Rover Mission on the moon

Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online 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.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Survey says: Delaware middle-income families struggle with child care