First State Times

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney on Thursday released the following statement on House Substitute 1 for House Bill 33, which passed in the Delaware State House and Senate. This legislation was included as a priority in the Governor’s FY24 Recommended Budget.

“All our children deserve a high-quality education,” said Governor John Carney. “We know the difference a good relationship with an educator can make in a student’s life. This legislation will lower student-teacher ratios and strengthen special education supports for some of our youngest learners. I want to thank Representative Williams, Senator Sturgeon, and members of the General Assembly for their continued commitment to Delaware children. I look forward to signing this bill into law.”

 “As a parent with two children that had a developmental delay, I know firsthand how critical early intervention is,” said Representative Kim Williams. “This bill sets our earliest learners up for success and builds off our prior efforts by increasing funding for kindergarten through third-grade special education services and interventions, extending basic special education funding to Pre-K. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of Dawn Alexander of Colonial School District, Dr. Tricia Dallas of Red Clay School District, Senator Sturgeon, Governor Carney, and our other stakeholders, our students will have the support they need to thrive for years to come.”

“The earlier we can identify the individual needs of students and get them the supports they need, the more likely they are to keep pace with their peers and achieve success in school and in life,” said Senator Laura Sturgeon “Representative Kim Williams worked incredibly hard over several years to increase funding for basic special education in grades K-3, and I want to thank her and my colleagues in the Senate for voting today to continue that work by providing additional support to some of our youngest learners facing some of the biggest challenges. I also want to thank Governor John Carney for including this critical funding in his recommended budget and I look forward to his signature on this bill.”

In addition to allocating funding for this legislation, Governor Carney outlined historic investments in early childhood education in his FY 24 Recommended Budget including:

• Investing an additional $10 million to increase Purchase of Care rates to 100% of the 75th percentile of the 2021 market rate, to better support programs and children in need.
• Doubling funding going to the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) to $12.2 million, to serve more 3- and 4-year-olds, and provide programs with more resources.

Additionally, Delaware won an $8 million federal Preschool Development Grant, which will help the state be innovative in strengthening its early childhood infrastructure.

Original Source can be found here.