Based on the recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children ages 6 months and older are now eligible for a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine.

CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP), a recommendation that all children 6 months through 5 years of age should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This expands eligibility for vaccination to nearly 20 million additional children.

Parents and caregivers can now get their children 6 months through 5 years of age vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines to better protect them from COVID-19. The Delaware County Health Department (DCHD) encourages parents to have their young children vaccinated by their trusted healthcare provider. All children, including those who have already had COVID-19, should get vaccinated. Families are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider or search www.vaccines.gov for available appointments.

For families not able to obtain a vaccine for their children through their healthcare provider or via www.vaccines.gov, DCHD is offering COVID-19 vaccinations for our youngest residents as an extension of the regular Vaccines for Children clinic at the Delaware County Wellness Center, 125 Chester Avenue, Yeadon, PA. DCHD will offer COVID pediatric vaccinations by appointment for eligible children 6 months to 5 years of age in Yeadon, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., on the following dates:

• Tuesday, June 28
• Tuesday, July 12
• Tuesday, July 26

To schedule an appointment, please visit the Delaware County COVID-19 website at delcopa.gov/vax or call at (484) 276-2100 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). Pediatric vaccination appointments can also be arranged by email at DelcoWellness@co.delaware.pa.us.

“Summer is a great time to make sure children are up to date on all their vaccinations,” said Melissa Lyon, Director of the Delaware County Health Department. “This now includes the pediatric COVID-19 vaccines for our littlest ones.”

Distribution of pediatric vaccinations for these younger children started across the country this week, including Delaware County pediatric practices, pharmacies, Federally Qualified Health Centers, clinics, and the Delaware County Health Department. Please note that demand for pediatric vaccines is expected to be high. In the event that appointments are limited, please check www.vaccines.gov for the most up-to-date appointment availability.

Summer officially began on June 21 and our region has already experienced several hot days and humidity even before the official start of the summer season.

Delaware County Council joined the County’s Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) and PECO on June 21 to announce the County’s 2022 Heat Plan.

COSA and the County Office of Adult and Family Services offer assistance to elderly and vulnerable residents throughout the summer. Several County programs are in place to help residents cope with hot weather and humidity which can cause dehydration and other health complications.

“While many of us enjoy the sunshine and the warmer weather during the summer months, the heat can be dangerous, especially for our vulnerable and older residents, and also our pets,” said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. “We need to take precautions as the weather begins to warm up. The County’s Heat Plan details some precautions we can take, resources available, and also includes reminders to check in on loved ones and neighbors.”

Residents are encouraged to visit the County’s website to read the 2022 Heat Plan and learn about the resources the County provides. Residents should also take precautions during heat waves and high humidity and check in with elderly and disabled family members and neighbors who are at greater risk for heat-related illnesses.

A 24-hour Emergency Heat Information Line is now active through the summer at (610) 872-1558. The information line will provide weekly heat safety tips and reminders, emergency information, and locations where people can seek relief from the heat.

Cooling fans, home checks on vulnerable residents, access to transportation, and other resources are also available to residents during extreme temperatures.

Air-conditioned senior centers typically have extended hours during a heat wave however, some senior centers and adult daycares remain closed or have limited hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents should check with their senior center to find updated days and hours.  

Each year, COSA purchases cooling fans to distribute to residents in need. Once again, this year PECO has generously donated fans as part of PECO’s Summer Fan Distribution Program. PECO donates 500 fans each year through local organizations across southeastern Pennsylvania. This year, the fans donated to Delaware County residents were purchased from Hardware & Supply Company, a veteran-owned small business in Chester. 

The fans will be distributed to seniors in need. For more information, call (610) 872-1558. Residents can also call their local senior center to learn how to receive a fan.

Delaware County Council voted unanimously on June 15 to approve a formal resolution that sets goals for increased diversity in public works contracting undertaken by Delaware County. 

Resolution 2022-3, “Resolution Regarding Goals for Diversity in Public Works Contracting,” sets several goals to help ensure that contractors make a good faith effort to have at least a 10% participation rate of local, minority, and female residents in their workforce, and that contractors make a good faith effort to utilize small local businesses and minority, veteran, and woman-owned businesses on projects awarded by the County. 

The resolution defines a “good faith effort” to include the hosting of a public job fair prior to the commencement of a project, the posting of available employment opportunities with the Delaware County Workforce Development Board and its PACareerLink offices, and providing employment and training services, advertisement of employment opportunities in a newspaper of general circulation throughout Delaware County and on the internet.

The resolution also directs the County Executive Director Howard Lazarus to take steps to obtain a disparity study related the relevant County public works contracting in order to assess the diversity of contractors, to help determine if any further actions by County Council may be needed in the future to help ensure an increase in the diversity of contractors doing business with the County.

“The County would like to cast a wider net and allow more participation in County projects from businesses across the county,” said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. “We want to support and include woman-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned businesses and to help those in our community acquire County jobs and contracts.” 

Per the County code, the resolution was effective upon adoption, and the County will begin to implement its provisions in soliciting and awarding covered public works contracts.  

Delaware County was proud to host the County’s first annual Juneteenth Celebration in Rose Tree Park on June 19. 

The celebration, hosted by Delaware County Council, the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association, and Taylor Made Vets featured live music and artistic performances from the 3rd Color Regiment, Nia Bullock, Michaela Santisi, the Upper Darby Calvary Baptist Dancers, Chester School District Steppers, the Children of Adam Band, and Dell-P. Delicious soul food was provided by Tones Spot and residents were invited browse and shop with local vendors. 

The County was proud to recognize Zionna Stansbur from STEM Academy at Showalter in Chester for being selected as the winner of the County’s Juneteenth logo competition. Her artwork was featured on the County’s official promotional items, including a banner that was displayed during the celebration.

“We are thrilled to be hosting the County’s first annual Juneteenth Celebration in Rose Tree Park,” Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor told the crowd. “Juneteenth serves as a day for residents to celebrate the ending of slavery in the United States and an opportunity for our entire community to learn more about African American history, which will contribute to a deeper understanding of the experiences that have shaped African Americans and our Country.”

Highlights of the day can be viewed by clicking the video below.

Musician Dell-P

Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor

Lauren Footman, Director, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The 3rd Color Regiment

Delaware County Councilman Richard Womack, Jr., with residents

PA CareerLink, a partner of the American Job Center Network funded by the Department of Labor through the Delaware County Workforce Development Board, will be hosting "Hire a Hero", a hiring event for veterans, on Wednesday, June 29, from 11 a.m.. to 2 p.m. in Chester. 

Veterans seeking employment are invited to attend!

Hire a Hero: A Veterans' Hiring Event

Wednesday, June 29

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

PA CareerLink Delaware County Office

701 Crosby Street, Suite B

Chester, PA 19013

Residents with questions can contact Tanya Harris at tanyaharris@edsisolutions.com.

* * * 

Launched in July, 2012, PA CareerLink® is part of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s initiative to transform the landscape of how job-seekers find family sustaining jobs and how employers find the skilled candidates that they need. Through this initiative, a user-friendly, premiere job-matching system has been created to help bridge the gap that currently exists between job-seekers and employers.

As part of the Pride Month, Delaware County’s new Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, led by Lauren Footman, has created an LGBTQ+ resource guide for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexed asexual, and agender individuals and their allies. 

This new resource, available as a downloadable and printable PDF, identifies a number of local, regional, and national organizations that provide a variety of services to the LGBTQ+ community, including counseling, support groups, community engagement events, health services, housing assistance, workshops, networking, and general assistance and advocacy.

Several hotlines and talk & text lines are also listed, providing critical support to those at risk, struggling, or simply in need of someone to talk with.

"This Pride month, we affirm our commitment to ensuring that the LGBTQ+ community is reflected and respected within our operations, as employees, partners, and recipients of services," said Lauren Footman, Delaware County Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. "We are committed to not only acknowledging our diversity, including the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community but celebrating it, as our diversity is our strength." 

The LGBTQ+ Resources Guide can be downloaded from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion web page at delcopa.gov/inclusion.

* * *

Pride Month is celebrated each June, with LGBTQ+ communities and allies coming together to celebrate the freedom for individuals to be themselves.

This celebratory month is rooted in the difficult history of minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

The original organizers of Pride Month chose June to pay homage to the Stonewall uprising that occurred in June of 1969 in New York City--an event that helped spark the modern gay rights movement. 

The Delaware County Controller’s Office publishes a list of unclaimed funds belonging to individuals and organizations that have done business with the County of Delaware. 

These “unclaimed funds” primarily consist of checks that have remained uncashed for a period of more than six months, often because the payee’s address has been marked as undeliverable by the United States Postal Service. Typically, the reason why USPS considers the check undeliverable is because the payee moved and did not leave a forwarding address—or the forwarding order expired. The most common types of unclaimed funds include, but are not limited to, supplier payments for goods or services.

Residents, organizations, and businesses that have provided goods and/or services to the County of Delaware since the beginning of 2019 are advised to review the list, available in PDF format, at delcopa.gov/funds.

If a party determines that the County has unclaimed funds available to them, then that party must complete the “Delaware County Request for Unclaimed Funds Form,” available at delcopa.gov/claim, and return it to the County of Delaware. Returned forms must be mailed and must follow the specific instructions detailed on the form (e.g., providing photo ID, verification of address, etc.). The mailing address is: Attention Delaware County Controller, 201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063.

The Delaware County Controller’s Office, led by Controller Joanne Phillips, reviews all forms carefully and will contact all applicants by letter within 4-6 weeks to clarify if the claim has been approved or denied, and why.

For additional information, visit the Controller’s Office website at or call the office during normal business hours at (610) 891-5159.

In-person visits at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility will resume on Monday, June 27.

Visitation had been restricted due to COVID-19.

Information on visitation can be found online on the County's George W. Hill Correctional Facility web page linked in the button below.

Delaware County's annual Rose Tree Park Summer Festival Concert Series in Rose Tree Park began last week, with free concerts scheduled throughout the summer, Wednesdays through Sundays, typically at 7:30 p.m.

Upcoming performers include: 

• Friday, 6/24: Best Friend’s Girl (A Cars cover band)
• Saturday, 6/25: Rose Tree Pops (Orchestral interpretations of classical, light classical, big band and pops music)
• Sunday, 6/26: Chico’s Vibe (music spanning all decades and genres)

For the complete schedule, visit the Rose Tree Summer Festival website (linked below).

Concerts are weather permitting; there are no rain dates. Admission and parking are free. Handicapped parking is available. For more information, please call (610) 891-4455.

Delaware County Govt Official 2022 Calendar

Meet your Delaware County Council members

The Delaware County Health Department website