Delaware
Working families in Delaware need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Delaware. But too many working families in Delaware are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Delaware economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 71% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $16,617 a year (or $1,385 per month).
More than 4,000 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 21% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $373 a month.
1.9K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 12% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 20% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 19.9K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $516 million each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Delaware: In The Headlines
Delaware is poised to make major investment in early childhood education. What will it focus on?
Delaware Public Media | fEBRUARY 13, 2026
Part of the federal money comes from the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Systems-Building Grant (PDG B-5 Grant), a $11.3 million federal grant.
Married or single, Delaware child care is costly, study finds
Delaware Online | jULY 17, 2025
Raising kids has never been cheap, but for Delaware families, the cost of child care can take a bigger bite out of their paychecks than in many nearby states, according to a new WalletHub study.
Surveys point to child child care crisis spiraling out of control for businesses, employees
Delaware Business Now | November 17, 2025
Delaware families and employers are united in a stark message: the state’s child care crisis is spiraling out of control.
Delaware Resources & News
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