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SB 278

BillStateDESenate
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE.
About This Bill
Latest Action · Jul 1, 2026
Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 2 ABSENT
Session
153
Introduced
May 6, 2026
Primary Sponsor
Trey Paradee· primary

Summary

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Like Senate Bill No. 278, Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 278 requires that the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) regulations for Purchase of Care (POC), this State's child care assistance program, provide authorization for a child care provider that a child will attend during the summer at any time after January 1 because current regulations do not provide authorization for summer care early enough for families to enroll children in summer camps before camps are full. SS 1 for SB 278 differs from SB 278 as follows: • Does not codify the POC eligibility for children in the custody of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families. • Revises the requirement that a summer child care provider must be authorized after January 1 so it clearly applies to all children receiving POC assistance. • Clarifies that an authorization for a summer child care provider must be provided in addition to all provider authorizations for the child’s care during the school year. Like SB 278, SS 1 for SB 278 does all of the following: • Adds the name of this State's child care assistance program, "Purchase of Care" or "POC" to Chapter 5 of Title 31. • Codifies the current policy that parent copayments are determined based on household size and income. • Requires that parent copayments also be based on whether the child receives assistance for a full or half day of child care. • Provides that the authorization for a summer child care provider provided in advance of attendance may be for purposes of enrollment only and is subject to meeting eligibility requirements at the time the child attends. • Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act is effective immediately because under § 10113 of Title 29, amendments that make existing regulations consistent with changes in basic law are exempt from the procedural requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act.

Co-sponsors (24)

Kerri Evelyn Harris · primary
Darius J. Brown · primary
Franklin D. Cooke · primary
Sarah McBride · primary
Melanie Ross Levin · primary
Stell Parker Selby · primary
Claire Snyder-Hall · primary
Russell Huxtable · primary
Dave G. Lawson · primary
Josue O Ortega · primary
Spiros Mantzavinos · primary
Brian Pettyjohn · primary
Marie Pinkney · primary
Nicole Poore · primary
Bryant L. Richardson · primary
Ray Seigfried · primary
David P. Sokola · primary
Laura V. Sturgeon · primary
Bryan Townsend · primary
John "Jack" Walsh · primary
David L. Wilson · primary
Eric Morrison · primary
Edward S. Osienski · primary
Cyndie Romer · primary

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