NEW CASTLE — New Castle County has been recognized with two achievement awards from the National Association of Counties, County Executive Matt Meyer announced May 24.

The county was recognized for its work with Vacant Spaces to Livable Places initiative and Pay for Success Contract for Home Visiting for First Time Moms.

Vacant Spaces to Livable Places is a multi-agency effort addressing vacant housing and repurposing properties for occupied homes and improved communities. Since the beginning of the program, New Castle County has collected over $3.5 million in delinquent taxes and turned more than 700 vacant homes and lots into occupied homes. 

New Castle County was also recognized for their work with Pay for Success Contract for Home Visiting for First Time Moms. The county partnered with Social Finance and the nonprofit Children & Families First to expand access to high-quality prenatal and postnatal health care to 120 first-time Medicaid-eligible mothers living in the county.

The program began in the winter of 2023 using the nurse-family partnership model, which pairs mothers with specialized registered nurses who offer home-based care to support healthy pregnancies and improve childhood health.

“These recognitions are nice, but ultimately they come from the right place – looking to help our neighbors and improve their quality of life,” Mr. Meyer said. “This is also a testament to the incredible hard work done by countless County employees doing the work.”