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about

Action for Delaware's Children is a not-for-profit organization set up to advocate for Delaware's children.

 

Our goal is to be a voice for Delaware’s children, especially those living in poverty.  We believe that many Delawareans want to help these children fulfill their potential, and we seek to educate members of the public about how the state can do that.  Our hope is that the Delawareans we reach will, in turn, ask their elected representatives to make the changes needed to help these kids.

 

There are dozens of registered lobbyists in Delaware.  None of them have, as their primary mission, the interests of Delaware’s children.

When we began our work in early 2020, the state had been financially healthy, with tens of millions of dollars in discretionary funds being spent every year. But too little of that money had been invested directly in programs that benefited children.

Over the last three years, we have helped to change that. Working with dozens of dedicated volunteers and supportive elected officials, we have helped to advocate for significant expansions in quality Pre-K, expanded school day, expanded school year, and student wellness center services for children living in poverty.  We helped establish a new state program for juveniles leaving the state’s juvenile detention facilities designed to reduce the number of those young people who are rearrested.  We led efforts to revitalize the state’s volunteer mentoring program in the state’s public schools.  And we joined with other advocates to help pass legislation that will dramatically reduce the exposure of young children to toxic lead-based paint.

 

Going forward, we plan to build on these efforts.

Click here for photos of our volunteers and supporters!

OUR BOARD

Board President: Terri Hodges, Ed.D (Past State President, Delaware PTA)

Board Vice President: Matt Denn (former AG/Lt. Governor/Insurance Commissioner)

Board Vice President: Senator Liane Sorenson

Board Secretary/Treasurer: Michael Vild (Cross & Simon)

Evelyn Brady (Voting Rights Advocate)

Lori Brewington (Sallie Mae)

Sarah Goncher (Christiana Care Health Services)

Tom Hanna (Harvey Hanna & Associates)

Senator Margaret Rose Henry

Jane Hovington (Lower Delaware NAACP)

Stacey Johnson (Gilliam Fellow)

Melissa Kenny (Kenny Family Shop-Rite)

Maria Matos (Latin American Community Center)

Michael Nestor (Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor)

Rev. Shanika Perry (Interdenominational Ministers Action Council)

Chandra Pitts (One Village Alliance)

Joe Rhoades (Rhoades & Morrow)

OUR ADVISORY BOARD

Thomas Hanna (Harvey Hanna) 

Clay Hill (NAI Global Real Estate)

Jane Hovington (Southern Delaware NAACP) 

Lynne Howard.  (Wilmington Center for Education Equity and Policy)

Dr. Laura Lawler (Christiana Care)

Ellen Levin (Levin Family Foundation) 

Meghan Livingston (Deputy General Counsel for Nemours Children’s Health)

Alex Matulas (Tsionas Property Management)

LaKresha Moultrie (General Counsel, Delaware State University)

Alex Parkowski (Aloysius Butler & Clark)

Chip Sheridan (Vice President of the Sheridan Auto Group)

Meedra Surratte (Executive Director of Delaware’s Parent Information Center) 

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