Discovery Cove Learning Center
A licensed child care center in Laurel, Delaware 19956
12034 County Seat Hwy, Laurel, Delaware 19956. (302) 875-7733.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. Delaware’s own record is on data.delaware.gov.
The short answer
Record last released by Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing on Nov 4, 2026.
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean4
- Inspection (survey)
- A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
- Deficiency, citation, violation
- What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
- Licence status
- Whether the state’s licence lets the place operate now, in the state’s own words: licensed, on probation (allowed to keep operating on conditions, after problems), provisional, pending or expired. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
- Capacity
- The most people the licence or certification lets the place care for at once: residents, children, beds or apartments, as the state counts them. It isn’t how many are there now. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
What did inspectors find?
3 visits with violations in the last three years, the latest on Jun 9, 2026; Delaware doesn’t list visits that found nothing.
9 violations cited in the last three years.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Compliance Review Information. Released Nov 4, 2026. Updated daily.
When those violations happened
9 violations in 3 months of the last 36. Last cited Jun 2026. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dec | |||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.
Each violation, in its source’s words
Grouped by visit, newest first, with the level its source gave it.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Compliance Review Information. Released Nov 4, 2026. Updated daily.
Jun 9, 2026: unannounced Full Compliance Review6 violations
-
Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. Two staff need two attempts to obtain service letters.”
-
Child Files
“Ensure child files are complete. One child needs a corrected Medication Administration Record (MAR). This was corrected at the visit when the missing information was added.”
-
Hazardous Materials
“Ensure radon testing is conducted every five years. Complete testing in each classroom.”
-
Indoor Space
“Ensure walls are in good repair. Patch and repair corner of wall in the pre-k classroom.”
-
Outdoor Area
“Ensure exit gate in the outdoor play area is self-closing and self-latching. Repair gate at sidewalk in rear of building . Ensure fall zone depth requirements are met. Replenish mulch to nine inches in rear play area.”
-
Activity Areas
“Ensure art materials are always accessible in the classroom for ages two years and older. This was corrected at the visit when the art materials in the two-year-old classroom were made available.”
Jun 9, 2025: unannounced Full Compliance Review1 violation
-
Outdoor Area
“Ensure gates in the outdoor play area fencing is self-closing and self-latching. Repair main gate off parking lot.”
Jun 18, 2024: unannounced Full Compliance Review2 violations
-
Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. One staff person needs two references.”
-
Outdoor Area
“Ensure outdoor area has enough mulch to cover fall zones. Replenish mulch to 9 inches. Ensure gates are self-closing and self-latching. There is a broken gate in the toddler area, a broken gate leading from parking lot into play area, and the main gate from the building does not self-close or self-latch. Fix sharp edge on parking lot gate, Remove broken picnic table to ensure all equipment is in a safe condition.”
All 3 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 2026 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 6 violations cited |
| Jun 9, 2025 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 1 violation cited |
| Jun 18, 2024 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 2 violations cited |
Is it licensed?
- Licensed Child Care Center.
- Ages served, in Delaware’s words: 1 year through 12 years.
- Takes part in: Child Care Food Program (meals reimbursed), Purchase of Care (state-subsidized child care).
- Licence number 1210735.
- Capacity: 53 children.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities. Released Nov 4, 2026. Updated daily.
Has Delaware acted against it?
- 6 complaint investigations in the last three years. Results, in Delaware’s words: No Evidence to Substantiate (3), Substantiated (3).
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Complaint Reviews and Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities. Released Nov 4, 2026. Updated daily.
| Date | What | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2026 | OCCL Standards Complaint: Substantiated | On June 23, 2026, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding mixing children of various ages in classrooms, suspension policy, and not meeting the child s needs. An investigation was conducted on June 30, 2026. This complaint is substantiated for mixing children of various ages in classrooms, because according to staff interviews and attendance records, Child #1, a two-year-old, was moved into the three-year-old classroom on June 22, 2026, and stayed for lunch and nap. Owner #1 stated Child #1 s behavior was so out of control, the decision was made to protect the younger children. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation the center violated their suspension policy, because the parent handbook states, The following are reasons we may have to expel or suspend a child: 1. the child is at risk of causing serious injury to other children or him/herself,. Staff interviewed and documentation reviewed show Child #1 was causing injury to other children and staff. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation the center was not meeting Child #1 s needs, leaving him/her with a snotty nose and in soiled pants. According to staff interviewed, they perform diaper checks and changes appropriately. Staff stated there is always extra clothing on hand in case a child s own clothing is soiled, and they ensure they wipe runny noses, as needed. |
| Feb 19, 2026 | IA Investigation: Substantiated | Delaware gives no summary. |
| Oct 29, 2025 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On October 16, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding cleanliness and not using serve ware appropriate to the child s age. An investigation was conducted on October 16, 2025. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because upon entering the center and while walking around, the center was found to be satisfactory in its cleanliness and there was no odor other than the smell of a bleach solution while staff cleaned. Staff interviewed stated breakfast was pre-packaged and served on a napkin. Staff #1 also stated he/she did not observe a child returning to the table to take a bite of food before he/she had a chance to clean breakfast up. LS #1 also observed boxes of food service supplies such as plates, napkins, and cups in the kitchen. |
| Aug 5, 2025 | OCCL Standards Complaint: Substantiated | OCCL s investigation of regulatory non-compliance began after clearance from other agencies was received. On March 6, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper discipline. An investigation began on March 5, 2025, and concluded on July 14, 2025. This complaint is substantiated because three different videos reviewed showed Staff #1 engaging in various forms of improper discipline, including roughly handling Child #1 by pulling them, pushing them into a chair and against a table, and restraining them. |
| Jul 1, 2025 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On June 11, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding accident/injury procedures. An investigation was conducted on June 18, 2025. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because staff interviewed stated they were not aware of injuries occurring to a one-year-old like the ones described. Upon review of Child #1 s file, there were accident/injury reports completed, but none for the alleged injury. Two additional child files were reviewed, each containing accident/injury reports. Lastly, according to Staff #1 and Administrator #1, the other staff person in the one-year-old classroom at the time of the alleged injury is no longer employed at the center so obtaining additional information is not possible. |
| Jul 1, 2025 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On June 11, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding diapering, improper staff-to-child ratio, exceeding maximum group size, and not having an organized system of communication. An investigation was conducted on June 18, 2025. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation of improper diapering, because all staff interviewed stated diapers are checked hourly and changed as needed. Staff #2 stated Child #1 s pull-up was changed on the floor of the classroom, but it was done on a non-porous mat as required. Staff #3 stated diaper checks were completed at 3:00 pm. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation that the large preschool classroom is over ratio and maximum group size because prior days of attendance records showed the classroom followed proper staff-to-child ratio and no more than the maximum of 20 children were present at one time. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation the center does not have an organized system of communication with parents. According to Administrator #1, if staff cannot respond to parent messages through ProCare the same day, they are required to no later than nap time of the following day. Administrator #1 also stated all families enrolled have his/her cell phone number. |
Who does the caring?
- Delaware doesn’t publish staffing levels for individual providers.
Who owns it?
- Delaware’s open data doesn’t list owners.
How is it rated?
- 2022: 2 facility injuries. No facility deaths reported.
- 2021: 1 facility injury. No facility deaths reported.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities. Released Nov 4, 2026. Updated daily.
How does it compare nearby?
- Providers aren’t compared: Delaware lists only the visits that found violations, so a count can’t tell a clean record from one never visited.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Compliance Review Information. Released Nov 4, 2026. Updated daily.
| Place | Violations cited in the last three years |
|---|---|
| Discovery Cove Learning Center This child care provider | Not given |
| Children & Families First Head Start Dunbar | Not given |
| Children & Families First Head Start Laurel | Not given |
| Erika Davis | Not given |
| Sussex Preschools-Laurel School Age Site | Not given |
| Acelero Learning Dunbar Center | Not given |
| Acelero Learning Laurel Center | Not given |
| Tywanda Sullivan | Not given |
| Teresa Ann Neal | Not given |
| Tina Brownlow | Not given |
| Sandra Welk | Not given |
| Vera E Matthews | Not given |
What the record doesn’t say
- Delaware doesn’t grade violations by severity, so read what was cited.
- Delaware’s open data lists a visit only when a violation was cited there, so visits that found nothing aren’t shown.
- Delaware publishes five years of reviews and complaints; this page shows the last three.
- Delaware doesn’t publish staffing levels or owners for individual providers.
- Delaware lists only the visits that found violations, so a provider with none listed may not have been visited at all: no count of violations is used to headline, filter or compare its providers.
Sources
-
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities (iuzd-3dbt).
Released Nov 4, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily. Public Domain.
-
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Compliance Review Information (wb83-pkcv).
Released Nov 4, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily. Public Domain.
-
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Complaint Reviews (pnbd-85r6).
Released Nov 4, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily. Public Domain.
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing. Delaware’s own record is on data.delaware.gov. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.
This copy of the record was made on Nov 5, 2026.
From the provider
The public record above comes first. Anything the provider adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the provider will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.
Paid listing
None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the provider”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.