Family Support Services in Delaware: Overview

The organization of social support for the family is an integral part of the social policy in Delaware. Social protection is based on the principles of solidarity and joint participation of citizens in its financing, mainly through the payment of taxes. It includes a system of social guarantees, including family allowances and other types of support for families in such life situations as the birth and upbringing of children, loss of work or ability to work by the head of the family, the absence of one of the parents.

In Delaware, only those who are unable to feed themselves and their families can count on the support of the state, community or ethnic group. The state assumes assistance only to certain, most vulnerable, categories of the population in extreme need. Such an approach to social policy is to a certain extent conditioned by the national characteristics of the country, including enormous size and federal structure, motley ethnic and racial composition, individualism as a national character trait.

The United States is characterized by a large role played by charities, private businesses and the church in helping families with children. They provide financial support and take care of young children, as well as psychological support for parents and children in difficult situations, assist in obtaining education, etc. Numerous volunteers provide services free of charge.

In Delaware, there is no unified social support system for families with children. There are many targeted social assistance programs, large and small. The purpose of these programs is to fully or partially make up for the lack of funds to meet the minimum necessary needs of families. Conditions for the provision of assistance: 1) income below a certain level; 2) absence or unemployment of one of the parents. Assistance is provided in cash (benefits and tax breaks) and in services and goods. Priority is given to services and goods assistance to avoid misuse of benefits.

The criterion for determining the need is the indicators of the poverty line for various categories of the population, which are published annually by the US Census Bureau. This takes into account the size and composition of the family, ethnicity, place of residence, occupation and sources of income, education, housing conditions, etc.

Social assistance programs, which include families with children, are grouped in several areas.

Financial support

1. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TAP). Families with children covered by this program are automatically eligible for other types of social assistance without income verification;
2. Payday loans Delaware. Families in need can get short-term financial support by taking out payday loans online. You’ll receive the cash fast can spend the money on whatever you need. These are no credit check loans and tough eligibility criteria. Payday loans are very popuar in the state because they are easy to obtain. You can always count on a fast cash advance if you have no other options.

Food aid

1. Food Stamps. This is a program offered to Delaware families that will that enables struggling families to buy a variety of food and groceries that is the basis for better health and nutrition;
2. Free and discounted school lunches and breakfasts;
3. Special supplementary food for women with children under 5 years of age;
4. Nutrition for children in day care centers.

Employment help

The Child Care Services and Vouchers program provides support for individuals and families with young children. By assisting with child care, the program will help those families keep a job, obtain employment training or meet the special needs of the child.

Medical assistance and medical care

1. Medicaid;
2. Delaware Healthy Children Program This is a low-cost health insurance assistance program for Delaware’s uninsured children. Some more moderate income families may qualify for help as well;
3. State health insurance for children;
4. Health care centers.

Housing assistance

1. Mortgage Assistance and Foreclosure Prevention Programs Delaware encourages all homeowners who need help with paying their mortgage or if they need to stop a foreclosure to seek help. The state of Delaware will support all families in taking advantage of the programs that are available;
2. Emergency Assistance Services and Rent Emergency assistance will help pay for rent, utilities, food and emergency shelter. Financial aid is provided for eligible lower-income families in order to help them to prevent homelessness and maintain self-sufficiency;
3. Transitional Housing and Shelters in Delaware. There are short-term and low-income housing units offered. Locations are for the homeless, single moms, and families that were evicted. There will also often be free meals, job training, and other services provided;
4. Construction of social housing for the poor;
5. Subsidies for the purchase and construction of your own home;
6. Subsidies for dwelling rent and heating.

Legal aid

1. Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc. provides free advice and representation from law firms and attorneys. A specialty is on civil legal cases that are faced by families.

Educational programs

1. Assistance in education and training;
2. Headstart – a program that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families.

Utility and heating bill assistance

1. The Delaware Energy Assistance Program (DEAP) is a program funded by Delaware and the federal government for lower income families. It will help them meet their costs of home energy;
2. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program LIHEAP helps low-income Delaware residents and those who are experiencing an emergency or crisis to pay their heating or energy bills;
3. Oil Heat Program will provide free heating oil to families who need help paying heating bills.

Social services

Delaware Social Services and Government Assistance runs a number of low-income programs across the state. Their services include:

1. Provision of child care for students and working recipients (VPSC-PSA);
2. Promotion of adoption of children and assistance to foster families;
3. Helping runaways and street children;
4. Legal and psychological assistance to adolescents;
5. Helping children – victims of crime and domestic violence;
6. Searching for fathers who evade the payment of alimony.

There are also a number of programs designed to support Indigenous peoples in Delaware.

Needy families with children are the main recipients of social assistance in the state, along with pensioners and disabled people. Many of them are simultaneously included in several social programs, which, however, does not always allow them to get out of poverty. In addition, there is still a significant part of needy families that do not fall under these programs – these are two-parent families with children, in which parents have low incomes. Thus, despite a large number of programs, only a part of families are covered by various types of social support.

Category: General

Tags: children, Delaware, family, finance, support