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Panel backs resolution urging 10% increase to purchase‑of‑care rates to expand childcare access
Summary
Representative Ross Levin said House Joint Resolution 10 recommends a 10% increase in purchase‑of‑care rates in FY2027 to improve provider participation and access; advocates including Jamie Schneider urged moving the rates beyond the 50th‑percentile market cap; the committee released the resolution and will forward it to the House.
Representative Ross Levin presented House Joint Resolution 10, which recommends increasing Delaware’s purchase‑of‑care (POC) reimbursement rates by 10% in fiscal year 2027 across settings to help expand access to childcare for families and stabilize the early‑childhood workforce.
Levin said rates tied to the 50th percentile of market rate now fall short of the actual cost of providing licensed, high‑quality care and that higher reimbursement is necessary to allow centers to hire and retain staff and to accept subsidized children. He estimated a preliminary fiscal impact of about $9 million but said a formal fiscal note is pending.
Jamie Schneider, interim executive director of the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children, testified in support, saying the current rates limit family choice and access and that moving beyond the 50th percentile is critical to align public investment with the true cost of care. "Higher rates will strengthen provider participation and expand access by making it financially feasible for more programs to accept POC," Schneider said.
The committee moved to release the resolution; the clerk recorded sufficient affirmative votes and the chair announced the motion carried and the resolution will be presented to the full House for consideration.
Next steps: the resolution will be forwarded to the full House as a budget-related recommendation and the fiscal note will be completed.
