We care about childcare – but does the state of Delaware?
We will all need care at some point in our lives: Many working Delawareans rely on childcare services so they can adequately provide for their families, and older residents and those with disabilities rely on in-home caregiving services to stay safely in their homes and communities. One way or another, the care industry will touch each one of us. But will childcare and homecare be available for us when we need it most? Advocates who recognize the necessity of these services — and the dire struggle to access them — were in the capitol in Dover on May 16 asking legislators to continue to support these much-needed and scarce services.
Childcare has become virtually unaffordable for the majority of Delawareans. According to Kids Count, 16% of children under the age of five are served in publicly funded programs. This glaring gap in care is leaving families struggling to live, work, and thrive in our beautiful state, pushing them to neighboring states where childcare investment is much more substantial.
On the other end of the care spectrum, Delaware has seen a massive surge in Medicaid authorizations for homecare services in recent years. Thousands of vulnerable and medically fragile residents want to age in place, be cared for in the comfort of their homes, and avoid long-term institutionalization in places like nursing homes. However, these residents can’t access this care because there are not enough caregivers within the workforce to keep up with the demand. Insufficient State funding for home care has driven professional personal care workers and in-home nurses to seek better wages elsewhere. Delaware has increased personal care funding only twice in the last 12 years, and private duty nursing, or PDN, twice in 18 years—despite drastic increases in the costs of living and providing care.
Another stark reality is Delaware’s substantial population of residents who must contend with both care crises: the “sandwich generation.” These families are responsible for caring for both their own children and their aging parents, and in return must make significant sacrifices like reduced working hours, increased expenses, or job loss due to the lack of support they have in trying to keep their loved ones safe and cared for.
Individuals and families who call Delaware home deserve to be able to access reliable care services. Both the childcare and homecare industries continue to face significant challenges in delivering the care services that all Delawareans need.
Every time a family member misses work to care for their loved ones — regardless of age — it not only affects their ability to make ends meet but impacts Delaware’s economy as well. Both childcare and homecare greatly benefit the State by allowing residents to be contributing members of society and by keeping aging and disabled individuals out of costly institutional long-term care settings — which cost the state more in the long run. Consider the following:
According to the Kaiser Foundation, given the state of inpatient expenses, Delaware could save $19,000 per week by utilizing in-home nursing. And according to Genworth, one week in a nursing home in Delaware costs 115% more than a week of receiving personal care at home.
Childcare providers frequently hear parents say that they would increase their hours at work, take a job, start a business, or go back to school if they could find affordable childcare.
Our families need the state’s support to ensure Delaware is not only a practical place to reside, but an ideal place to call home and take care of the ones we love most. This is not simply a social and moral obligation of the budget decision-makers in Dover; investing in the care industry is a sensible financial decision for Delaware’s economy now and for the future.
Members of our organizations will stand united to walk the halls in Dover, urging lawmakers to take action to support those who care. By prioritizing care for Delawareans of all ages and increasing funding for childcare and homecare programs as part of the 2025 budget, Delaware lawmakers can show residents that they truly care.
Sue Getman is executive director of Delaware Association for Home and Community Care. Kimberly Bryda is president of Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: We care – but does the state of Delaware?
