DEL will not be filing family home child care rules today and making them available for public comment, as had been planned. We are postponing filing to allow for more discussion time for DEL and other members of the family home child care negotiated rulemaking team (NRMT).It is DEL’s responsibility to ensure safe, healthy licensed child care settings. Our goal with updating the family home child care rules is to make sure they are child-focused, research-based, consensus-driven rules that promote safety, health, and quality in licensed family home child care settings.
Members of the NRMT met for nearly three years to discuss current rules, review research and make recommendations on the proposed rules. As the regulatory agency, DEL then reviewed the team’s recommendations and prepared the proposed rules for formal filing.
DEL believes the proposed rules would support healthy, safe, high-quality family home care. We also want to honor the process and the work of the NRMT and ensure that team members feel their voices are heard and opinions considered before filing the proposed rules.