Delaware runs its publicly funded child care subsidy through Purchase of Care (POC), administered by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Social Services (DSS). POC covers licensed centers, licensed or registered family child care homes, school-age programs, and approved relative or in-home providers. Delaware administers Purchase of Care directly through DHSS Division of Social Services, with three county offices (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) handling intake. Delaware's CCDBG allocation per eligible child is among the highest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the state has historically maintained open intake without a sustained waitlist.
If your family income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) at intake, at least one parent is working, in school, or in approved job training, and your child is under thirteen, you almost certainly qualify on paper. Delaware POC eligibility and funding capacity vary by year and by Delaware legislative appropriation, and a waitlist for non-priority working families has historically been the most consistent operational pressure point in New Castle County (Wilmington, Newark), and to a lesser extent Kent County (Dover) and Sussex County.
the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Social Services (DSS) sets statewide POC rules: who can be eligible, what counts as a work, school, or training activity, the family co-pay schedule, and how providers are paid. Local DSS regional offices and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) partners handle intake, eligibility determination, family co-pay calculation, recertification, and provider payment. Delaware Stars for Early Success runs in parallel and shapes both reimbursement rates and parent-facing quality information. Delaware's state-funded public pre-K, the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP), runs on a separate eligibility and funding track for income-eligible four-year-olds (and three-year-olds in some sites) in participating school districts and community partner sites.
Delaware's POC eligibility rules require a need activity (work, school, or approved training), Delaware residency, and household income within the program ceiling.
DSS sets initial POC eligibility at 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), with ongoing eligibility maintained at 250 percent of the federal poverty level for the certification year. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2025-2026:
Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) applies to families receiving cash assistance (TANF), foster care, child protective services involvement, families experiencing homelessness, and teen parents in school. Both parents (or the single parent in a single-parent household) must be working, in school, or in an approved job-training program. Children must be under age thirteen, or under age eighteen if the child has a documented disability.
Delaware sets a monthly family co-pay on a sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, generally seven to ten percent of income. Approximate monthly amounts for 2025-2026:
The co-pay is paid directly to the provider each month. POC reimbursement covers the difference between the family co-pay and the contracted reimbursement rate, up to the DSS-published market rate ceiling. Cash-assistance families generally have no co-pay during the assistance window. DSS adjusts the co-pay schedule each year as part of the Delaware CCDF state plan amendment cycle.
DSS reimburses POC providers at a base rate set by region and child age, with quality enhancement add-ons for providers participating in Delaware Stars for Early Success. Top-rated providers receive the largest add-ons, typically 10 to 25 percent above the base rate. Reimbursement rates were updated to align with the federal equal-access requirement after 2024 CCDF rulemaking. Full-time infant center base reimbursement runs from roughly $1,000 per month in rural Delaware counties to well above $1,800 per month in the metro market. Family child care provider rates typically run 15 to 25 percent below center rates.
the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) is one of the substantive supports Delaware layers on top of POC for four-year-olds. Many working families use POC for younger children and combine the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) with POC wraparound hours for full-day, full-year coverage at age four.
Delaware has historically maintained open Purchase of Care intake across all three counties (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) without a sustained waitlist, supported by a stable CCDBG allocation and modest state matching dollars. DSS prioritizes cash-assistance recipients, foster care cases, child protective services referrals, homeless families, and teen parents in school for immediate determination and bypass of any general waitlist.
Use assist.dhss.delaware.gov or the Delaware DSS website to find your local DSS office or CCR&R partner. Each region handles POC intake for residents of its service area.
DSS accepts POC applications online through the Delaware benefits portal, in person, or by mail. The application asks for family composition, household income, the need activity (work, school, or training), work or school hours, and a preferred provider if you have one selected.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of Delaware residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; a current work schedule from your employer.
Priority cases (cash-assistance recipients, foster care, protective services, homeless families, teen parents) are typically determined within fifteen business days. General working families with available funding are determined within twenty to thirty business days; families on the waitlist (where applicable) are notified when funding becomes available.
POC families select any DSS-approved provider: licensed centers, licensed or registered family child care providers, school-age programs, and approved relative or in-home providers. DSS issues a POC authorization with approved hours and reimbursement rate. DSS pays the provider directly, and the family pays the monthly co-pay.
Provider participation in POC is voluntary. To accept POC, a provider must hold a current DSS license or registration, sign a POC provider agreement, accept the market rate ceiling, and meet attendance reporting requirements through the Delaware time and attendance system. Most POC funding flows to Delaware Stars for Early Success top-tier providers. Some private centers in the Delaware metro market decline POC because their posted rates exceed the published market rate ceiling.
Delaware's POC intake ceiling sits at 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) (the federal CCDF maximum is 85 percent SMI; Delaware is below the maximum on the intake side and uses 250 percent of the federal poverty level on the exit side, which keeps families covered through modest income gains). Co-pays are modest by national comparison. Delaware Stars for Early Success reimbursement add-ons reward higher-rated providers. the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) layered with POC wraparound is a meaningful combination for working families at age four.
Delaware families have the right to appeal an DSS denial or termination by requesting a fair hearing within thirty calendar days of the determination notice. Most denials at the local level are reversed when the family provides missing pay stubs, a corrected work schedule, or updated household composition. the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) and Head Start both run free or sliding-scale pre-K for three- and four-year-olds and operate on a separate eligibility track from POC. If the appeal does not succeed, options include reapplying when income or hours change, pursuing Head Start or Early Head Start, enrolling a four-year-old in the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) at no cost where available, or asking your employer about a Dependent Care FSA.
Purchase of Care reduces daycare costs for low- and moderate-income Delaware working families across all three counties, supported by one of the more stable CCDBG funding pictures in the Mid-Atlantic. Delaware Stars reimbursement add-ons at Star 3, Star 4, and Star 5 reward quality. ECAP at age four (income-eligible, school-day) layered with Purchase of Care wraparound is the most common four-year-old configuration. For most Delaware families, the single best move is to apply through assist.dhss.delaware.gov or your county DSS office now, even before you need care.
Initial eligibility for Delaware Purchase of Care is set at 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) at intake, with ongoing eligibility maintained at 250 percent of the federal poverty level through the certification year. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2026 are roughly roughly $3,600 per month for a family of two, roughly $4,500 per month for a family of three, roughly $5,400 per month for a family of four, and roughly $6,300 per month for a family of five. Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) applies to families receiving cash assistance (TANF), foster care, child protective services involvement, families experiencing homelessness, and teen parents in school.
DSS sets a monthly family co-pay on a sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, generally seven to ten percent of income. Co-pays for the 2026 schedule run from $0 per month at the lowest-income tier to roughly $210 to $360 per month at the upper end of eligibility, paid directly to the provider.
the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Social Services (DSS) administers the Purchase of Care program statewide. Local intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, and provider payment are processed through DSS regional contractors and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) partners.
Delaware Stars for Early Success is Delaware's tiered quality rating and improvement system, administered by DSS. Subsidy reimbursement rates scale with quality level: top-rated programs receive 10 to 25 percent above the base reimbursement rate.
Delaware has historically maintained open Purchase of Care intake across all three counties (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) without a sustained waitlist, supported by a stable CCDBG allocation and modest state matching dollars. Priority cases (cash-assistance recipients, foster care, protective services, homeless families, teen parents) are determined within fifteen to twenty business days of completed application.
Delaware permits care by a relative or in-home provider after completion of background checks, child abuse and neglect registry clearance, and DSS registration. Most POC funding flows to licensed centers and licensed or registered family child care homes participating in Delaware Stars for Early Success.
Delaware operates the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP), a state-funded pre-K program for income-eligible four-year-olds (and three-year-olds in some sites) in participating school districts and community-based partner sites. Many working families combine the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) for the school day with POC wraparound for full-day, full-year coverage.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of Delaware residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; current work schedule. DSS provides a complete checklist with the application packet.
What a licensed center or family child care home actually costs across Delaware metros in 2026.
See Delaware costs → Delaware pre-Kthe Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) and how it layers with POC wraparound hours.
Read the guide → BackgroundCCDBG, Head Start, and how every state's voucher program fits together.
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