LEWES, Del. -The Little Vikings Early Learning Program, located at the Sussex Consortium, is now licensed with the Delaware Office of Child Care. The Little Vikings Early Learning Program educates the youngest students in the Cape Henlopen District.
Through the license, the school is now eligible to receive more grants to help students in need, and scholarships can be given to teachers who want to further their education in early childhood learning. According to the district, the process to obtain the license was extensive, and took about a year to accomplish.
Audrey Dempsey, who has been the Supervisor of Early Learning for the Cape Henlopen School District, told CoastTV, "During the process to receive the license, radon and lead testing were done, as well as checking the school's environmental structures." Dempsey continued, "Teachers went through safety protocols like CPR, AED, and first aid training to make sure everyone was up to date on how to keep students safe."
Dempsey believes the Cape Henlopen School District provides one of the safest school environments in the state for students, and she said the licensing process only further guaranteed that. The license will also require students to receive yearly physicals, up to date immunizations, and lead testing. The goal of the license is to not only make sure students are growing educationally, but also that they are becoming the healthiest versions of themselves.
Dempsey says making scholarships available to teachers to further their early education degrees is an incredible resource.
"There are not enough teachers taking advantage and entering the teaching profession so these scholarships are essential and critical, explained Dempsey.
The district says the new licensing with the state will ensure that all 227 students who are part of the Little Vikings program will receive the best education and classroom conditions possible. The district also said that a strong early learning program is important to ensure a student's strong education foundation.