Department Of Health And Social Services

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Social Services, a U.S. state government entity headquartered in New Castle, Delaware, operates as the prime recipient of federal grants (98% of recent awards) supporting aging services, family caregiver programs, adult protective services, AmeriCorps administration, and long-term care facility development across the state.

The Division's customer concentration is heavily weighted toward aging-related federal programs. The top five funding agencies account for 92% of recent awards, anchored by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living (38 awards), which funds the bulk of the Division's Older Americans Act programming under formula grants. The Corporation for National and Community Service Office of Grants Management supplies 12 awards, primarily for AmeriCorps State and National formula programs and commission support grants. The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, and the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service round out the active set with smaller award counts. The Division operates as a sub-recipient on one federal award, coordinating with the Delaware Department of Education to expand the state's ASSIST eligibility platform to include Department of Education funded early care and education programming.

The Division's primary capability footprint centers on aging services delivery and administration. Under its Older Americans Act Title III and Title VII grants from the Administration for Community Living, the Division distributes formula funding to Area Agencies on Aging and nonprofit service providers for congregate meals, home-delivered meals, supportive services, family caregiver support, preventive health programs, elder abuse prevention, and long-term care ombudsman services. Recent formula awards include a $3.67 million Special Programs for the Aging, Title III, Part C, Nutrition Services award (CFDA 93.045) effective through September 2027 for congregate and home-delivered meals, a $2.71 million Title III, Part B, Grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers award (CFDA 93.044) for community-based supportive service systems, a $1.28 million National Family Caregiver Support Program award (CFDA 93.052) for information, counseling, respite care, and supplemental services, and a $144,415 Title VII Long-Term Care Ombudsman Services award (CFDA 93.042) for complaint investigation and resident advocacy in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Division also manages $102,529 in Adult Protective Services block grant funding (CFDA 93.698) from the Administration on Aging to enhance APS capacity for elder and adult disability abuse reporting and investigation. On AmeriCorps programming, the Division received a $1.33 million State and National Project Grant (CFDA 94.006) obligated September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, funding the 2026-27 formula allocation for AmeriCorps members deployed to address unmet community service needs statewide, and manages two additional AmeriCorps grants for commission support and training and technical assistance. The Division also received a $402,496 Grants to States for Loan Repayment award (CFDA 93.165) from the Health Resources and Services Administration to fund educational debt assistance for healthcare professionals—including physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, mental health professionals, registered nurses, and pharmacists—who commit to practice in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas within Delaware, with maximum repayment awards of $75,000 for primary care providers and $50,000 for dental and mental health professionals. Long-term care facility development includes a congressionally directed spending Project Grant obligated September 30, 2023, through September 29, 2027, supporting the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill replacement facility construction, currently in design development with groundbreaking tentatively scheduled for September 2024 and completion targeted for summer 2027.

Activity has remained steady over recent years—10 to 12 awards per year from 2022 to 2025, with three awards obligated so far in 2026. Twenty-five awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing the Division's principal recompete exposure window. Total combined dollars obligated across all 65 recent awards reaches $582.3 million. The Division's parent is the State of Delaware.