Issue Position: Youth Services

Issue Position

Marie was raised in Delaware during a time when it was typical for teens to enjoy an evening at one of the skate centers or the Christiana Mall on most Friday and Saturday evenings. Unfortunately, those options have been severely limited over the last decade. We know that when children do not have opportunities for safe fun or jobs they are more likely to make poor decisions.

In 2016, the U.S. D.O.J Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program ranked Delaware well above national rates in regards to juvenile arrests for aggravated assault, robbery, larceny, drug abuse, and weapons. We can turn this around by increasing and improving the services and opportunities available to the youth in Delaware.

The early college and middle college high school models allow students to earn an Associate's degree or significant college credit before they reach their high school graduations. We must ensure that our youth are supported by flooding the systems that come into contact with them with the support they need.

As your state senator Marie will:

Introduce middle and early college bridge programs
Improve support services and funding for state foster care agencies and families throughout the state
Fund public schools based on organizational need
Bring an end to the "Youth & Training Wage" that exploits young workers.
Focus on the reduction and ultimately end of youth homelessness

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