6.2 Professional Development Framework

A Lead Agency must have a professional development framework for training, professional development, and post-secondary education for caregivers, teachers, and directors in child care programs that serve children of all ages. The framework must include these components: (1) professional standards and competencies, (2) career pathways, (3) advisory structures, (4) articulation, (5) workforce information, and (6) financing. CCDF provides Lead Agencies flexibility on the strategies, breadth, and depth of the framework. The professional development framework must be developed in consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or a similar coordinating body. 6.2.1 Updates and consultation a. Did the Lead Agency make any updates to the professional development framework since the FFY 2022-2024 CCDF Plan was submitted? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe the elements of the framework that were updated and describe if and how the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (if applicable) or similar coordinating body was consulted: [x]No. b. Did the Lead Agency consult with other key groups in the development of their professional development framework? [x] Yes. If yes, identify the other key groups: Delaware will introduce new career pathways, aligning with updated licensing regulations, during the FY25-FY27 plan years. These pathways will redefine qualifications for early childhood professionals, ensuring clarity and consistency across licensed program types. This work began in winter 2022 when updated qualifications were socialized at virtual provider meetings and the Delaware Early Childhood Council (DECC) meetings to solicit feedback. In January of 2023, DECC’s subcommittee Partnerships with Professionals held a virtual meeting to discuss the workforce crisis and proposed qualification changes. An update from this meeting was provided at the DECC meeting later that month. These proposed changes required the majority of all new early childhood educators to obtain 120 hours of the prerequisite training for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential to become early childhood assistant teachers within 12 months of employment or to become Level II family child care providers. Additional changes required a quarter of each center’s teachers to obtain a CDA and existing family providers and center staff qualified as at least early childhood assistant teachers were to receive legacy status. In February of 2023, the Office of Early Learning (OEL) presented the same proposed qualifications at the Provider Call (typically attended by over 200 providers) and actively sought feedback by using a survey to capture early care educators’ thoughts on the proposed updated qualifications. The feedback was mixed: some supported the proposed updated qualifications; some wanted higher qualifications; many supported assigning legacy statuses to the existing workforce; some did not want to increase qualifications due to the staffing crisis; and some mistakenly believed the new requirement would require everyone to obtain a minimum or a CDA. In March of 2023, OEL presented an updated version of the proposed qualifications at the DECC meeting that allowed for 18 months to obtain the 120 hours of training and clarified that a CDA would only be required for new early childhood teachers and all positions would receive legacy status except for early childhood interns. In June of 2023, the proposed career lattice based on the proposed qualifications was shared at the DECC meeting. However, the provider community and organizations did not support creating new qualifications without more investment directly into compensation strategies for early childhood professionals. In the late fall of 2023, the DOE Early Childhood Support team leadership decided not to pursue this version of the updated qualifications until its financial incentive strategies could support the state’s new requirements. In January 2024, DOE revised its draft qualifications framework again based on the Power to the Professions Early Childhood Educator positions I, II, and III and included additions specifically related to entry positions as well as Montessori pathways. These newly developed pathways will include stackable, shorter coursework/training pathways that will be socialized through licensing regulations updates in fall 2024. As described in 6.2.2 iv, Delaware is developing articulation agreements with local Institutions of Higher Education to award 12 college credits for CDA obtainment. DOE is optimistic that the updated qualifications will be embraced, primarily due to the substantial increase in funding programs receive through quality improvement awards and the belief that all children deserve high-quality educators. [ ] No. 6.2.2 Description of the professional development framework a. Describe how the Lead Agency’s framework for training and professional development addresses the following required elements: i. Professional standards and competencies. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about which roles in early childhood education are included (such as teachers, directors, infant and toddler specialists, mental health consultants, coaches, licensors, QIS assessors, family service workers, home visitors). In Delaware, the pursuit of excellence in early childhood education involves strategic choices. Rather than creating state-specific professional standards from scratch, Delaware has embraced the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Professional Standards and Competencies. By adopting NAEYC’s standards, Delaware ensures consistency with the Child Development Associate (CDA) competencies and Subject Area credential requirements. These shared competencies allow for a seamless career expectation for educators pursuing both state and national recognition. Delaware’s current system emphasizes continuous growth. Early childhood educators must engage in annual professional development in the topic area of health and safety. Additionally, they choose at least two other topics from a comprehensive list: Child development; Developmental curriculum planning or environment; Observation and assessment; Positive behavior supports or social-emotional development; Health, safety, physical activity, and nutrition; Family and community engagement; Professionalism; Disability non-discrimination, accommodations, or modifications; Management and administration. The DOE partners with the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) at University of Delaware (UD) to design Professional Learning Experiences based on NAEYC’s competencies. Educators benefit from evidence-based practices aligned with national standards. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. In Delaware, early childhood professionals follow well-defined career pathways that guide them from entry-level positions to more specialized roles. Delaware’s DELACARE- Regulations-for-Early-Care-and-Education-and-School-Age-Centers-22.pdf (delaware.gov) (specifically regulations 24 and 87) outline the career pathways for center-based professionals. Educators may enter the workforce at any level if they meet the qualifications. These pathways serve as roadmaps, ensuring clarity and consistency between licensed programs. Once educators meet the qualifications for a desired position within a center, they apply for a qualifications certificate by submitting the required documentation to Delaware's DEEDS Early Learning Team. As explained in regulation 55 of DELACARE-FCCH-LFCCH-Regulations-August- 2022.pdf (delaware.gov), the career pathway for family child care involves Level I and Level II. Level II providers can care for additional children after receiving additional training and meeting experience requirements. Regulation 66 explains the requirements to become a large family provider which allows for more children to be served as well as the opportunity to hire a staff member. In the fall of 2024, Delaware will propose updated licensing regulations for public comment that will require more professional preparation to be qualified as an early childhood educator. Based on public comment, the career pathways and career lattice will be revised once the licensing regulations are finalized. Additionally, Delaware is in the process of building a new professional development registry that will include prompts or suggestions for career advancement as part of the educator’s professional development planning. These prompts will guide educators toward career advancement by suggesting quality- assured training. These training hours can also count toward the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. The current career lattice https://dieecpd.org/static/uploads/files/career-lattice-chart-may-2012-final.pdf provides a visual representation of the qualifications for many early childhood careers. iii. Advisory structure. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about how the professional development advisory structure interacts with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. The Delaware Early Childhood Council (DECC) serves as the advisory structure for the state. DECC represents numerous early childhood and community agencies throughout the state, as per Delaware's legislative code. DECC meets every other month and is staffed by the Department of Education. DECC’s mission is to promote the development of a comprehensive and coordinated early childhood system, birth to eight, which provides the highest quality services and environment for Delaware's children and their families. DECC was codified in 2007 in Title 14, Chapter 30 of the Delaware Code. It was amended June 2010 in HR 470 (Section 1 Amendment 1703(n) Title 14: Delaware ECC By-Laws. In addition to any responsibilities assigned by the Governor through the Interagency Resource Management Committee (IRMC) as outlined in Delaware Code, the Delaware Early Childhood Council (DECC) makes recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the IRMC that promote the coordination and effectiveness of early childhood state services and policies. DECC is responsible for maintaining and expanding a statewide network of early care and education institutions that includes early childhood professionals, advocates, state program officers, private and nonprofit community institutions, and others who support the development and delivery of high-quality early childhood services. DECC requires specific members, as determined by Title 14, Chapter 30 § 3003 of the Delaware Code. DECC members and the legislative designation they represent are listed on the current Membership List. DECC designed the state's five-year early childhood strategic plan "Strengthening Early Success: Building Our Future Together" from stakeholder-driven solutions directly from the 2018/2019 Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) strategic planning process. DECC established four subcommittees to prioritize and to act on tasks, one for each of the plan's four framework goals: access to holistic services, access to high quality programs, partnerships with professionals, and navigate a simple system. Subcommittees are public committees of volunteer stakeholders staffed by government agency personnel. The Partnerships with Professionals Subcommittee convened in 2022 and 2023 to provide feedback on the state’s professional development framework plans. They are scheduled to meet again in 2024 to discuss the updates and make any necessary revisions. These discussions will inform the proposed licensing regulations which will include updated qualifications, set to be introduced in the fall of 2024. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. DOE contracts with the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University (DSU) using state appropriated funding to offer Child Development Associate (CDA) credential Cohort and Scholarship Models to support the child care workforce. ECIC has partnered with Delaware colleges and universities who offer early childhood education programs to establish credit for prior learning and/or prior learning assessments for early childhood education professionals who have earned the Child Development Associate® (CDA), Credential™. The CDA® is a national credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C. Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College, and Wilmington University have signed agreements to award 12 credits for current and incoming students who have CDAs. This means that any early childhood professional who holds a CDA will be awarded four, three-credit program specific courses on their college/university transcripts. These credits will allow early childhood professionals to graduate with their degree in early childhood education at an accelerated rate and place more credentialed and degreed professionals in the early childhood industry. ECIC offers three models to obtain the international CDA credential. Each model is designed to meet the unique individual needs of the early childhood workforce. The comprehensive CDA cohort model is intentionally designed to provide intensive support needed throughout the CDA credentialing process. Focused on a different CDA competency each month, the cohorts meet twice a month, one virtual and one in-person. Using a multi-layered approach, CDA candidates have individualized, relationship-based coaching to support each aspect of the CDA requirements. Incentives include a laptop, a $500 stipend, cost of credential covered, CDA books, Quorum E-Learning account (for virtual CDA classes), and a $1,000 completion stipend. To be eligible for the completion stipend, educators must have successfully obtained their CDA credential and have continuous employment in the early childhood workforce for six months post-CDA for a minimum of 20 hours a week in a licensed setting. The self-guided model gives highly motivated, organized educators with exceptional time management skills the ability to navigate through the required steps of the CDA credential. Candidates who are in this model manage various projects and timelines, have a clear expectation of written requirements, and the ability to articulate written components as required by the Council for Professional Recognition independently. Progressing at their own pace, these candidates have one monthly progress check-in with the facilitator coach. Participants of the self-guided model are responsible for keeping themselves on track and ensuring all their materials are ready for approval by the Council for Professional Recognition. The facilitator coach assists them with scheduling their observation and exam. Incentives include a laptop, a $500 stipend, cost of credential covered, CDA books, Quorum E-Learning account (for virtual CDA classes), and a $1,000 completion stipend. To be eligible for the completion stipend, educators must have successfully obtained their CDA credential and remain in the early childhood workforce for six months post-CDA for a minimum of 20 hours a week. The fee only model was designed to support professionals who may already be working on their CDA and are approaching the finish line. These candidates do not participate in a cohort. They are eligible for the CDA Assessment fee to be covered and a $1,000 completion stipend. The ECIC covers the $425 cost for candidates in this model. To be eligible for the completion stipend, educators must have successfully obtained their CDA credential and have continuous employment in the early childhood workforce for six months post-CDA for a minimum of 20 hours a week in a licensed setting. ECIC also provides scholarships and support for degree attainment. As part of the Associate (AA) degree scholarship program, tuition up to 12 credits per semester and some fees are covered without any employer requirements. Requirements include maintaining a 2.5 GPA, working in a licensed child care facility, and participation in progress updates with the scholarship coordinator. Upon completion of a degree program, six months continuous employment in early child care and education is also required for completion stipends. The ECIC’s Bachelor’s (BA) degree scholarship program mirrors this programming; tuition is paid up to 12 credits per semester and some fees without any employer requirements. Requirements include maintaining a 2.5 GPA, working in a licensed child care facility, and participation in progress updates with the scholarship coordinator. Upon completion of a degree program, six months continuous employment in early child care and education is also required for completion stipends. Associate Program Stipends Incentives include: $250 Support Stipend per semester, $2,500 30-Credit Milestone Stipend, and $5,000 Completion Stipend after six months continuous employment in early care and education. The Bachelor’s Program Stipends Incentives include: $250 Support Stipend per semester and $10,000 Completion Stipend after six months continuous employment in early care and education. In addition, Continuation Stipends are offered in the amount of $1,000 for enrolling and being accepted to pursue a Bachelor’s degree within six months and $500 for enrolling and being accepted to pursue a Bachelor’s degree within one year. v. Workforce information. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about workforce demographics, educator well-being, retention/turnover surveys, actual wage scales, and/or access to benefits. At the end of January 2023, Delaware concluded a workforce study. Listed below are high level insights from FOCUS, which is the Office of Child Care Licensing’s database that includes all active child care providers with demographics and some information on roles. After cleaning data and removing duplicates, our sample was 8,163 individuals from FOCUS data. The new early childhood professional portal developed in 2022 to distribute bonuses showed full/part time status and staff roles, but only for ~4,818 people. Only 56% of licensed professionals in FOCUS are in the professional registry in 2023, with the following demographics: 93% employed in licensed child care centers. 67.4% employed in New Castle County. New Castle County includes more than twice the number of educators as Sussex and Kent Counties combined. 32.5% are employed in the City of Wilmington. 16.60% are employed in Kent County. 16.01% are employed in Sussex County, our most southern county. The demographic data of the early care and education workforce is proportional to overall adult female population in Delaware: 53.8% Caucasian, 40.9% African American, 2.1% Asian American, 8.4% of the total workforce identifies as Hispanic. At the end of 2022, 44% of this sample only had 15 hours of training to work alone with children; 25% had 120 hours of training; and 6% had a CDA. However, state- funded early care and education program standards require that programs must ensure that no less than 50% of center-based educators have a BA or AA in child development or early childhood education, or equivalent coursework. As a result, for the 2022-2023 school year: 80.2% of state-funded teachers have a BA or above; 41.2% of state-funded assistant teachers have an AA or above. Phase I of the workforce study included a survey that included questions regarding retention and turnover. Results from this survey found that 62.05% of the workforce reported being in their current role for 2 years or less. 65.47% of center-based staff reported being in their current role for less than 2 years, compared to 6.01% of Family Child Care providers. Conversely, 46.15 % of Family Child Care providers reported being in their current role for more than 20 years compared to 1.67% in Centers, showing that family child care providers are significantly more likely to remain in the early childhood workforce. Delaware continues to add ￿modules￿ to its early childhood online data collection system, the ￿DE ECE Portal,￿ to assist with having a central location to gather data and run reports. Once the system is complete with the FY25-FY27 plan cycle, Delaware will be able to provide information on actual wage scales, educator well- being, and access to benefits. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. In Delaware, we are enhancing the profession and supporting educators by offering programs quality improvement awards to prioritize goals for their staff. As part of our quality improvement system, programs receive quality improvement awards. These awards may be used to provide salary increases, bonuses, paid sick or family leave, retirement contributions, or recruitment or retention bonuses. The quality improvement award amounts will be increased depending on the type of program in state FY25 to further support programs to increase staff qualifications. DOE is also providing individual scholarships for professional growth. As described in 6.1.1 e, DE is investing in educators’ futures by offering scholarships for Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials, and for Associate and Bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education. Delaware supports educators by contracting with Delaware State University’s Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) to provide direct scholarships and stipends. Their team providers career advisement and facilitates cohort models of support. Delaware also incentivizes ongoing professional learning by contracting with the University of Delaware's Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) to provide free training and resources to early childhood professionals. Professional learning experiences are offered throughout the year, in a variety of formats to keep educators informed and engaged. The training calendar’s link is Professional Learning Experience Calendar ￿ DIEEC (dieecpd.org). b. Does the Lead Agency use additional elements? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the element(s). Check all that apply. i. [x] Continuing education unit trainings and credit-bearing professional development. Describe: In Delaware, we prioritize quality-assured professional learning hours for early childhood educators. These hours can serve as annual professional development clock hours as required through licensing regulations. Delaware acknowledges credit-bearing continuing education through Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) by allowing college credit to count for required annual professional development hours. Educators may earn credits while enhancing their skills and knowledge. ii. [x] Engagement of training and professional development providers, including higher education, in aligning training and educational opportunities with the Lead Agency's framework. Describe: Delaware has expanded its definition of quality- assured training to include all the organizations recognized by the National Workforce Registry Alliance, such as Quorum, Smart Horizons, Child Care ED, Teach Stone, etc., to provide clear requirements on what training may be used to count towards becoming a qualified early childhood educator. This expansion includes many opportunities for early childhood educators to complete the prerequisite training hours to obtain a CDA. Delaware is putting resources towards CDA obtainment to verify that early childhood educators meet the competencies required for a quality educator. iii. [ ] Other. Describe: [ ] No. 6.2.3 Impact of the Professional Development Framework Describe how the framework improves the quality, stability, and retention of caregivers, teachers, and directors and identify what data are available to assess the impact. a. Professional standards and competencies. For example, do the professional standards and competencies reflect the range of providers across role, child care setting, or age of children served? The Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) has established regulations for early care and education and school-age centers as well as for family and large family child care homes. These regulations aim to protect and support the health, safety, well-being, and positive development of children who receive care in these facilities. These regulations include minimum standards required to work in these programs. During the pandemic and subsequently to ease the staffing crisis, the standards were lowered to allow entry-level center staff to work alone with children after receiving only 15 hours of training. Delaware’s workforce study revealed in 2022 that 44% of those working in centers, fell into this category. Many centers’ classrooms are still closed because they do not have the staff required to open them. Delaware is changing the professional development framework in the fall of 2024 to support early childhood educators in obtaining a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. This requirement will be for educators to work alone with children; it will be within one year of employment for child care center educators and two years will be provided for family providers. Current staff who are qualified as at least an early childhood teacher will receive legacy status and will not be required to do additional CDA components to demonstrate their competencies. Delaware plans to support the workforce through this change in professional preparation requirements by offering individual professionals CDA scholarships and educational attainment awards and offering quality improvement awards to programs. In general, the completion stipend helps support retention by requiring early childhood professionals to stay in the field for six months after completing their degree in order to receive the completion stipend. The 2022 workforce study revealed 62.05% of the workforce reported being in their current role for 2 years or less. 65.47% of center-based staff reported being in their current role for less than 2 years, compared to 6.01% of Family Child Care providers. Conversely, 46.15 % of Family Child Care providers reported being in their current role for more than 20 years compared to 1.67% in Centers. Based on these findings, Delaware will work on a marketing campaign to recruit family child care providers considering the longevity of the career and work to retain child care center educators. b. Career pathways. For example, has the Lead Agency developed a wage ladder that provides progressively higher wages as early educators gain more experience and credentials? What types of child care settings and staff roles are addressed in career pathways, such as licensed centers and family child care homes? As shared above, Delaware distributes Quality Improvement Award funding to programs to provide financial incentives for their workforce. Salary increases and bonuses are recommended to be commensurate with each early care professional’s qualifications and experience. Quality Improvement Award funding may also be used for training to broaden educators’ skills in a wide variety of areas; however, the focus is recommended to be in adult-child interactions. Additionally, the state now mandates competitive salaries for educators with higher credentials in state-funded programs. Looking ahead, Delaware plans to post the proposed updated qualifications for public comment in fall 2024. These qualifications will require educators to obtain either a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, 12 Early Care and Education College credits, or 200 hours of Montessori training within one year of being able to work independently with children. When Delaware’s career pathway structure is updated, it will be explained in our CCDF FY25-FY27 Plan Amendment. c. Advisory structure. For example, has the advisory structure identified goals for child care workforce compensation, including types of staff and target compensation levels? Does the Lead Agency have a Preschool Development Birth-to-Five grant and is part of its scope of work child care compensation activities? Are they represented in the advisory structure? The Delaware Early Childhood Council (DECC) serves as the advisory structure for the state. DECC represents numerous early childhood and community agencies throughout the state, as per Delaware's legislative code. DECC meets every other month and is staffed by the Department of Education. DECC designed the Initial Framework Early Childhood Educator Target Compensation Scale and Professional Pathway Submitted to Senate and House Education Committees by Working Group convened by Delaware Department of Education and Delaware Early Childhood Council December 1, 2021 (ctctusercontent.com). The advisory committee also includes the PDG grant manager who is also the CCDF co-administrator. Delaware used PDG funds to create more state-funded early care and education seats that require child care professionals to be paid with competitive salaries. To date, Delaware has been unable to fully implement this target compensation scale because significant investments in wage enhancement programs, professional development stipends, loan forgiveness, and benefits for the child care workforce have not been made. d. Articulation. For example, how does the advisory structure include training and professional development for providers, including higher education, to assist in aligning training and education opportunities? Delaware’s approach to early childhood education is multifaceted, focusing on the professional growth of educators. The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) plays a pivotal role in nurturing the development of children by endorsing high-quality care and educational practices. It achieves this through targeted professional development programs, which include both instruction and personalized coaching. DEEDS Early Learning evaluates the training history of early learning professionals to assess their eligibility for employment in early childhood or school-age care settings. This process is complemented by career guidance provided both prior to and throughout their professional journey. Training mandates and guidelines stipulate that providers must fulfill specific training prerequisites as ￿professional preparation.￿ Some of these are pre- employment requirements, while others must be completed on an annual basis. NOTE: There is no acronym for DEEDS; that is its name and branding. DEEDS is a system that allows applicants to submit applications to become certified to work in early care and education positions. Traditionally, only DIEEC-endorsed trainings were recognized as meeting quality standards in Delaware. However, the state has broadened its criteria to also include trainings approved by the National Workforce Registry Alliance and the Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC). To enhance child care quality, Delaware is transitioning towards mandating the competency knowledge and demonstration signified by the Child Development Associate credential for individuals working independently with children. The Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) supports this initiative by linking educators with scholarship opportunities and offering career advisement on relevant training programs. Furthermore, the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children (DAEYC) contributes to the professional development landscape by organizing an annual conference that delivers top-tier training to early childhood educators, leaders, and directors. The professional development hours accrued from these sessions are recognized towards fulfilling the annual licensing requirements for practitioners. This comprehensive system ensures that Delaware’s children receive the best possible start in life through the support of highly trained and qualified educators. e. Workforce information. For example, does the Lead Agency have data on the existing wages and benefits available to the child care workforce? Do any partners such as the Quality Improvement System, child care resource and referral agencies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and universities and research organizations collect compensation and benefits data? Does the Lead Agency monitor child care workforce wages and access to benefits through ongoing data collection and evaluation? Can the data identify any disparities in the existing compensation and benefits (by geography, role, child care setting, race, ethnicity, gender, or age of children served)? Delaware is currently developing an Early Childhood portal with a comprehensive set of features. This portal will serve as a valuable resource for the early childhood education community. The key components include: -Early Childhood Professional Profiles: The portal will host profiles of early childhood professionals, providing essential information about their qualifications, experience, and expertise. -Professional Registry: A centralized registry will track and maintain records of early childhood educators, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information. -Child Care Program Supports: The portal will offer resources and guidance to child care programs, assisting them in delivering high-quality services. -Caseload Management and Monitoring Systems: These systems will streamline administrative tasks related to child care licensing and quality improvement to enhance efficiency and accountability. -State-Funding Grants and Quality-Improvement Awards: The portal will facilitate the application and approval process for state-funded grants and quality-improvement awards. These financial incentives will benefit educators and programs. -State-Sponsored Scholarships: Educators seeking further education or professional development can explore available scholarships through the portal. -Data Reporting Capabilities: Once operational (anticipated by June 2025), the portal will generate valuable data. It will provide insights into existing early childhood educators’ wages, benefits, and potential disparities. Factors such as geography, role, child care setting, race, ethnicity, gender, and age of children served will be considered. This initiative aims to enhance transparency, support educators, and promote equity within Delaware’s early childhood education landscape. f. Financing. For example, has the Lead Agency set a minimum or living wage as a floor for all child care staff? Do Lead Agency-provider subsidy agreements contain requirements for staff compensation levels? Do Lead Agencies provide program-level compensation grants to support staff base salaries and benefits? Does the Lead Agency administer bonuses or stipends directly to workers? Starting in January 2025, Delaware law mandates a minimum wage of $15 per hour. However, the lead agency provider subsidy agreements do not currently specify staff compensation levels. To enhance staff salary and benefits for recruitment and retention, Quality Improvement Awards can be utilized for bonuses and benefits. Previously, Delaware used ARPA funds to directly pay bonuses to workers. Child care educators received two bonuses: $1,000 in 2022 and $700 in 2023. Should additional funds become available in the future, Delaware is well-prepared to effectively provide bonuses to the early childhood workforce.