Parent Resources

Help for parents with children of all ages and varying circumstances.

Hotlines and Crisis Help

24-Hour Child Abuse or Neglect Hotline

Report child abuse or neglect by calling 1-800-292-9582

24-Hour Child Mental Health Crisis Services

For help with a child's/adolescent’s mental health or substance use emergency, call 1-800-969-4357.

Delaware 211

Delaware 2-1-1 provides one central resource for access to the health and human service organizations that offer the support to make a difference.

Whether faced with the panic of a natural disaster or struggling to meet everyday basic needs, Delaware residents can rely on 2-1-1 for a direct response and prompt assistance.

This free service is confidential and available when you need it.

Safe Arms for Babies 24-Hour Hotline

Safe Arms for Babies is a law that allows a parent to go to any Delaware hospital emergency department and leave their newborn (14 days old or younger) with any emergency department staff or volunteer. This law provides immunity from criminal prosecution provided the baby is alive, unharmed and brought into a hospital emergency department.

Education

Find Your School

Use the Delaware Department of Education’s school locator tool to find your local school and district.

Guide to Schools K-12

Delaware offers many great options for education, such as traditional school districts, charter schools, private schools and homeschools. This guide is designed to help families find information on childcare and early learning as well as determine a child’s next steps in education, finding neighborhood schools, and meet any transportation need

Guide to Higher Education

Resources for scholorships, grants, financial aid, and continuing education.

Health and Safety

Adopt A Child

Adoption is a great way to build a family. People who choose to adopt children from foster care are very special. They have a strong belief that all children deserve a loving family to call their own. There are dozens of children in Delaware that want nothing more than to become part of a forever family.

Child Nutrition

The Delaware Department of Education Nutrition Programs administers several programs that provide healthy food to children including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and the Special Milk Program. Each of these programs helps fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, after-school programs, and non-profit organizations for providing healthy meals to children.

Developmental Disabilities Council

The Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council is currently seeking public comment on the DRAFT 2022-2026 Strategic Plan that guides the work that our Council will complete in the next five years.

Emergency Medical Services

SAFE KIDS Delaware Coalition is a non-profit organization established in 1989, comprised of volunteers dedicated to reducing unintentional childhood injury in children from birth to age 14. The Delaware Division of Public Health serves as the lead agency. An affiliate of SAFE KIDS Worldwide®, we are a state coalition, led by a board of directors, with active chapters in each county.

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know

A main focus of Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know is to make information available to the public and promote participation in emergency planning. A variety of information is available.

Immunization

You can protect your children against disease by having them vaccinated. Vaccination (also called immunization or baby shots) starts at birth. Protect your children by getting them all the recommended vaccinations on time.

Injury Prevention

Injuries can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, or economic status. More Delawareans die from unintentional injuries such as motor vehicle crashes and falls in the first four decades of life than from any other cause. Injuries have physical, emotional, and financial consequences that impact lives of individuals, their families, their communities, and society. The financial burden of injury-related lifelong disability has extensive and wide-ranging effects. All this, despite the fact that many injuries and acts of violence are preventable.

Low-Cost Health Insurance for Children (CHIP)

The Delaware Healthy Children Program is a low cost health insurance program for Delaware's uninsured children. The Delaware Healthy Children Program features the same high-quality coverage you'd get with some of the best private insurance plans.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

The Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services, also known as DPBHS, provides a statewide range of voluntary mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention services for children and youth.

Delaware Safe Kids

Healthy Children (AAP Parenting Website)

All early childhood experiences matter. And nearly 50% of children under 5 attend out of home care. Pediatricians need to be involved in helping promote quality early education and child care because it is where the children are. The Healthy Children website provides resources to assist parents in collaborating with pediatric health providers, early education and child care providers to increase the quality of care, promote early education and improve children's health and well-being.

Children's Community Alternative Disability Program

This program is operated by the Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance. It provides Medicaid coverage to severely disabled children who do not qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other Medicaid qualifying programs because of their parents' income and/or resources. Parents wishing to apply for this program for their child should contact the nearest DMMA Long Term Care Medicaid Unit.

Protection from Abuse Order

A PFA Order is an order of Family Court ordering someone to stop abusing another person, and may include other relief, such as ordering the abuser to stay away from the person being abused. Abuse is defined as any threatening or harmful conduct including serious emotional harm.

Child Care

Assistance for Relatives Caring for a Child

The Kinship Care Program provides assistance for relative caregivers during the 180-day transition period when a child first moves into the non-parent caregiver's home (relative caregivers are non-parental relatives, such as grandparents or aunts and uncles, who take on the responsibility of caring for a relative child). The program assists in meeting immediate needs for clothing, shelter, health, safety, and educational supplies.

Assistance for the Care of Severely Disabled Children

Child Care Subsidy

This service provides support for families with children to enable the caretaker to hold a job, obtain training or meet special needs of the parent or child. Child care may also be provided in child abuse cases to help protect the child. If you are working, you may have to pay a portion of your child care expenses. Contact a DSS office to get more information on the program rules and fees.

File a Complaint Against a Child Care Facility

The Office of Child Care Licensing investigates complaints about possible violations of licensing rules by child care facilities. It has no authority to investigate financial matters nor does it investigate personal disputes.

Locate a Childcare Provider

Selecting the right child care provider for your family is a very important decision and there are many things to consider. This site helps you make a more informed choice by showing program information and the number of non-compliances and substantiated complaints for the past five years.

Kinship Care Program

Child Abuse or Neglect

Volunteer to be a Child Advocate

The National CASA/GAL Association, together with state and local member programs, supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every child who has experienced abuse or neglect can be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive.

Addressing Child Sexual Abuse

Resource Information for the Community. Compiled by the Consumer Health Librarian, Sussex County, Delaware and the Delaware Division of Libraries.

Child Advocate Office

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is a non-judicial state agency charged with safeguarding the welfare of Delaware's children. OCA was created in 1999 in response to numerous child deaths in Delaware resulting from child abuse.

Child Protection Accountability Commission (CPAC)

Delaware's Child Protection Accountability Commission ("CPAC" or "the Commission") was statutorily created in 1997 as part of a comprehensive strategy, entitled the Child Abuse Prevention Act of 1997, to improve Delaware's child protection system following the tragic death of a four year old boy named Bryan Martin. This act made significant changes regarding how Delaware investigates child abuse and neglect and how it fosters a child protection community of cooperation, accountability and multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program

The purpose of the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program is to alleviate some of the financial burdens faced by victims, those that are directly related to the specific offense, by providing compensation for certain losses.

School Employees Must Report Child Abuse

All suspected child abuse and neglect must be reported to the 24-hour Division of Family Services (DFS) Child Abuse and Neglect Report Line or online. You may also call any Law Enforcement Agency or 911, but not in lieu of contacting DFS. You are not required to provide proof. Anyone who makes a good faith report based on reasonable grounds is immune from prosecution.

Divorce

Divorce / Annulmenty Overview

Getting a divorce or an annulment is an important decision. A divorce is the way to legally end your marriage. An annulment is the way to have the Court declare that your marriage never existed. Before you decide to get a divorce or annulment, you may want to meet with a family counselor. A counselor can help you identify problem areas in your marriage and help you decide whether you should get a divorce or annulment. If you do decide to get a divorce or annulment, we recommend that you speak to an attorney.

Child Support Services

information on the purpose of child support, how and where to apply for services, the types of services offered, enforcement measures, and frequently asked questions.

Custody/Visitation

Under Delaware law, parents are joint natural custodians of their children. When parents live separate and apart, either or both parents may file a petition in Family Court asking that the court award custody to him/her.

File for Child Support

Under Delaware law, both parents have a duty to support their child until the child is 18 years of age, or, if the child is still in high school, until the child graduates or turns 19 years of age, whichever comes first.

Youth Rehabilitation

Juvenile Dispositional Guidelines

The Committee on Dispositional Guidelines for Juveniles (10 Del. C. § 1008) is responsible for developing guidelines for use in determining dispositions of juvenile offenders.

Secure Care: Ferris School for Boys

Ferris School is a secure care, ACA accredited treatment facility providing services for up to 72 court committed males, ages 13 to 18. The average length of stay is six months, followed by a six-week transition program. Youth committed to Ferris are identified as serious and/or chronic repeat offenders, who pose a risk to themselves or others and require intensive rehabilitative treatment.

Secure Care: Grace Cottage

Grace Cottage is a Level IV staff secured residential program focusing on the unique treatment needs of adolescent females in a safe, gender-sensitive environment.

Secure Care: Snowden Cottages

Snowden Cottage is a Level IV staff secured residential treatment program designed to address the needs of adjudicated male adolescents and assist them in making a successful transition to the community.

Secure Care: New Castle County Detention Center

The New Castle County Detention Center (NCCDC) is a 64 bed lock-secure facility serving pre-adjudicated males and females under the age of 18 years old. The facility is accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA), a nationally recognized organization that sets standards for adult and juvenile correctional facilities.

Secure Care: Stevenson House

The William Marion Stevenson House Detention Center is a lock-secure facility staffed for 55 pre-adjudicated male and female youth under the age of 18 years old. The facility is accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA), a nationally recognized organization that sets standards for adult and juvenile correctional facilities.

Youth Rehabilitation Services

The Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services is the lead juvenile justice agency serving youth ordered to our care through the judicial system. We are responsible for assessing the needs of youth and collaborating with their families, school, and support systems to coordinate services aimed at addressing the factors that contributed to delinquency. DYRS offers supervision and services through Civil Citation, Community Services, Detention Services, Residential to Alternatives to Detention, and Secure Care Treatment. The goal of all of our programs is to reduce recidivism and promote positive outcomes.