Like Senate Bill No. 278, Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 278 requires that the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) regulations for Purchase of Care (POC), this State's child care assistance program, provide authorization for a child care provider that a child will attend during the summer at any time after January 1 because current regulations do not provide authorization for summer care early enough for families to enroll children in summer camps before camps are full.
SS 1 for SB 278 differs from SB 278 as follows:
• Does not codify the POC eligibility for children in the custody of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families.
• Revises the requirement that a summer child care provider must be authorized after January 1 so it clearly applies to all children receiving POC assistance.
• Clarifies that an authorization for a summer child care provider must be provided in addition to all provider authorizations for the child’s care during the school year.
Like SB 278, SS 1 for SB 278 does all of the following:
• Adds the name of this State's child care assistance program, "Purchase of Care" or "POC" to Chapter 5 of Title 31.
• Codifies the current policy that parent copayments are determined based on household size and income.
• Requires that parent copayments also be based on whether the child receives assistance for a full or half day of child care.
• Provides that the authorization for a summer child care provider provided in advance of attendance may be for purposes of enrollment only and is subject to meeting eligibility requirements at the time the child attends.
• Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This Act is effective immediately because under § 10113 of Title 29, amendments that make existing regulations consistent with changes in basic law are exempt from the procedural requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act.

Statutes affected:
Original / Not Amended: 31.502, 31.503
SS 1 Original / Not Amended: 31.502, 31.503