• Delaware Early Childhood Council

    The mission of the Delaware Early Childhood Council (DECC) 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. The Delaware ECC 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

    The DECC is executing on this mission by implementing the DECC 2020-2025 Strategic Plan: Strengthening Early Success: Building our Future Together.  Meetings are held six times per calendar year, with subcommittee meetings held as needed in order to execute the Strategic Plan. For DECC meeting dates (including subcommittee meetings), materials and minutes, please visit the State of Delaware Public Meeting Calendar.  Search DECC for all related meeting information. Please e-mail Jennifer Marsh at jennifer.marsh@doe.k12.de.us to be added to the council mailing/meeting notification list. 

    Additional Resources for the Strategic Plan:

    Meetings and Materials:

    Find upcoming DECC meeting dates, agendas, meeting support documents and meeting minutes for all public DECC meetings on the State of Delaware's Public Meeting Calendar. Search “DECC” for relevant meetings.

    DECC Member Roles and Responsibilities:

    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) shall make recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the IRMC that promote the appropriate coordination and effectiveness of early childhood state services and policies. The DECC shall be 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.

    • Champion DECC Strategic Plan Vision, Goals and Guiding Principles
    • Attend 6 annual meetings and any special convenings or presentations
    • Join a committee, attend and participate
    • Help advance the recommendations of the Council
    • Engage stakeholders or constituency as appropriate

    The 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.  For more information about the Delaware ECC, email early.learning@doe.k12.de.us or call 302-735-4295.

    Committees of the DECC:

    • Access to Holistic Services: 
      • Support Families in meeting and advocating for children's needs AND Meet children's health, mental health, developmental and educational needs
      • Adopt family navigator orientation
      • Single, comprehensive point of access for families
      • Promote awareness of importance of early years
    • Access to High Quality Programs: 
      • Support increased child care quality and capacity
      • Support families in finding the right program fit
      • Increase financial and geographical access to quality
    • Partnership with Professionals:
      • Support and develop early childhood as a profession
        • Qualifications and career pathways
        • Pipeline development
        • Professional learning
      • Achieve culturally and linguistically responsive, inclusive practices
      • Increase compensation and building systems of support
    • Navigate a Simple System:
      • Integrate governance
        • Shared leadership
        • Create a more coherent system for children, families and providers
      • Integrate data systems
      • Increase financial investments in professionals, programs and services
    • Early Childhood Inclusion:
      • Collaborate across early childhood programs to increase high quality inclusive early childhood opportunities 
      • Expand access to inclusion through publicly funded contracted time to assure a Free Appropriate Public Education in the Least Restrictive Environment as required by the IDEA 
      • Assure inclusion is addressed when redesigning preparation programs to meet the needs of current and future workforce
      • Increase inclusive opportunities to assure a full continuum of alternative educational placements required by the IDEA to serve children in the Least Restrictive Environment
      • Address special financial barriers to inclusion
      • Printed copies of inclusion guide are available by contacting early.learning@doe.k12.de.us

    Committee Members Roles and Responsibilities:

    • Champion DECC Strategic Plan Vision, Goals and Guiding Principles

    • Attend 6 annual Council meetings and any special convenings or presentations

    • Help advance the recommendations of the Council

    • Engage stakeholders or constituency as appropriate

    • Attend and participate in Committee meetings (at least 2/year)

    • Bring expertise, resources and networks to help advance Committee priorities and action

    Annual Reports:

    Delaware's strategic plans for a comprehensive early childhood system are provided below.  For reports prior to 2013, email jennifer.marsh@doe.k12.de.us. 

     
Last Modified on July 29, 2021