DE HCR88

Urges the General Assembly to prioritize funding for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Restorative Justice in school districts and charter schools, including professional development and schoolwide action plans for traumatized children.

Calls for the General Assembly to work with the Delaware Department of Education to integrate SEL into academic instruction and school environments, and to create SEL lead positions funded for each Local Education Agency (LEA).

Notes Delaware's participation in the SEL and Workforce Initiative launched by CASEL in 2020 and the state's existing Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellbeing (SEBW) Plan supported by federal ESSER II funds through September 30, 2023.

Establishes that 22.8% of Delaware children have experienced one adverse childhood experience and 19.1% have experienced two or more, citing the need for trauma-informed SEL approaches aligned with Governor Carney's 2018 trauma-informed state executive order.

Recognizes that social and emotional competence serves as a protective factor against adverse childhood experiences and that the coronavirus pandemic has intensified mental and behavioral health challenges for students.