If you're looking for a group home in Delaware — for an adult with a disability, someone leaving a hospital or treatment, a veteran, or an aging parent who can no longer live alone — here is how the system actually works in this state, in plain terms.
What it's called here
In Delaware these homes are often called neighborhood group homes, residential habilitation, or assisted living. There is no national word for them, and searching the wrong term is one reason families conclude nothing exists nearby. Try the Delaware term and "group home" together. The full state-by-state list is in our FAQ.
Who licenses them
In Delaware, services for intellectual and developmental disabilities run through the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS), behavioral health through DSAMH, and residential facilities are licensed by the Division of Health Care Quality under Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS). Any provider should be able to give you a license number issued by the state, and you can verify it yourself. A provider who will not show you a license and a recent inspection report is one to walk away from.
Who pays
Most residents do not pay privately. In Delaware, funding usually runs through Delaware Medicaid — the Diamond State Health Plan Plus for long-term services and supports — and the DDDS Lifespan Waiver for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus SSI toward room and board. Medicare does not pay for group home room and board — one of the most common and expensive misunderstandings. How the pieces fit together is explained plainly in our questions answered.
How to get in
- Contact DDDS (for an intellectual or developmental disability) or DSAMH (for behavioral health) and ask for an eligibility and level-of-care assessment.
- Good news specific to Delaware: the Lifespan Waiver does not keep a waiting list — if you qualify, you are in, so apply as soon as you can rather than waiting.
- Line up documents: ID, a general diagnosis summary, funding information, and guardianship paperwork if any.
- A hospital discharge planner or case manager can start a referral directly — often the fastest route in.
Know your rights
Wherever someone lands, they keep specific rights — to dignity, to their own money, to raise a complaint, and to protection from an unfair discharge. Read resident rights and how to report a problem before you need them.
Help today, and what we're building
For the agencies and helplines that can act right now, see where to get help today. Mai Heaven is working toward small, permanent licensed homes in Delaware — we are pre-licence and not yet admitting residents, but you can join the waiting list and we will reach out the day a home opens here.