Cadence Academy Preschool-Smyrna
A licensed child care center in Smyrna, Delaware 19977
649 S Carter Rd, Smyrna, Delaware 19977. (302) 653-5677.
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The short answer
Record last released by Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing on Oct 23, 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 Oct 13, 2026; Delaware doesn’t list visits that found nothing.
15 violations cited in the last three years.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Compliance Review Information. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated daily.
When those violations happened
15 violations in 3 months of the last 36. Last cited Oct 2026. The last 3 years, to Oct 24, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nov | 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 |
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 Oct 23, 2026. Updated daily.
Oct 13, 2026: unannounced Full Compliance Review5 violations
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Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. Four staff need documented attempts to obtain service letters.”
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Indoor Space
“Ensure walls are in good repair. Patch and repair peeling paint in Classrooms 11, 13, and 14.”
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Toilet Facilities
“Ensure liquid soap is available in toilet rooms. Repair or replace soap dispenser in classroom 6 boy’s bathroom.”
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Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments
“Ensure nap mats are non-absorbent, free from rips and tears. Replace torn mats in classrooms 8 and 9.”
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Administration of Medication
“Ensure Medication Administration Records (MAR) are completed for each medication accepted. Complete MAR for Child #25 in classroom 10 for allergy medication. Ensure MAR’s are filled out entirely. Review and update MAR’s in classroom 14.”
Oct 7, 2025: unannounced Full Compliance Review4 violations
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Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. One staff person needs a release of employment history and job description. One staff person needs one more reference. Two staff need two documented attempts to obtain service letters and one more reference if no service letter is returned. One staff person needs one more attempt to obtain a service letter. On staff needs two documented attempts to obtain a service letter.”
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Diapering and Soiled Clothing
“Ensure a foot-activated diaper pail is available for diapering. The diaper pail in Room #10 is broken and not foot-activated. Purchase new pail.”
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Lesson Plans
“Ensure lesson plans for ages two years and older contain a weekly opportunity in a food or healthy habit. This was corrected at the visit when an activity was added.”
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Activity Areas
“Ensure classrooms for two years and older contain five required activity areas, including art. This was corrected at the visit when art supplies were made accessible in Room #11.”
Oct 8, 2024: unannounced Full Compliance Review6 violations
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Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. Two staff need an annual review of safe sleep and child abuse and neglect. One staff person needs one additional hour of training. One staff needs orientation and four reference letters. One staff needs a signed job description and four references.”
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Child Files
“Ensure child files are complete. Two children need a blood lead level test result. One child needs a signed Medication Administration Record.”
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Kitchen and Food Preparation
“Ensure refrigerators maintain a temperature of 41 degrees F or colder.”
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Diapering and Soiled Clothing
“Ensure a non-porous diaper changing mat is available in the three’s and four’s classrooms. LS Brey observed a staff person changing a child standing up without a mat. This was corrected at the visit when the staff was instructed to use the mat. Ensure a foot-activated diaper pail is available. Purchase new pails for Room 13, the shared bathrooms for Rooms 6 and 7, and the shared bathrooms for Rooms 8 and 9.”
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Lesson Plans
“Ensure the lesson plans for the infants contain activities in physical and social-emotional.”
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Activity Areas
“Ensure art materials are accessible in the two-year-old classrooms. This was corrected at the visit when materials were added.”
All 3 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2026 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 5 violations cited |
| Oct 7, 2025 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 4 violations cited |
| Oct 8, 2024 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 6 violations cited |
Is it licensed?
- Licensed Child Care Center.
- Ages served, in Delaware’s words: 6 weeks through 12 years.
- Takes part in: Purchase of Care (state-subsidized child care).
- Licence number 1456251.
- Capacity: 191 children.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated daily.
Has Delaware acted against it?
- 11 complaint investigations in the last three years. Results, in Delaware’s words: No Evidence to Substantiate (9), Substantiated (2).
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Complaint Reviews and Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated daily.
| Date | What | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2026 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On June 26, 2026, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding positive behavior supports and not following the center s policies in the handbook related to suspension and napping. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation the center did not make appropriate accommodations for Child #1 based on their diagnosed disability and Individualized Education Program (IEP). According to staff interviewed, they utilized many different strategies for behavior support which were recommended in Child #1 s IEP. Additionally, an internal behavior support plan was developed with the family, which outlined specific strategies to use for nap time. According to staff, these strategies were implemented but the aggressive behaviors continued. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation the center did not adhere to their handbook s policies on napping and suspension because based on staff interviews and the 10 behavior incident reports reviewed, the parent handbook was followed. |
| Jun 18, 2025 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On May 28, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding positive behavior supports. An investigation was conducted on June 4, 2025. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because all staff interviewed stated they have never heard Staff #1 calling children little f***ers or yelling at them. Administrator #1 further stated families request Staff #1 as their child s teacher when they are aging into that age group. |
| Apr 22, 2025 | OCCL Standards Complaint: Substantiated | On April 5, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding the center not conducting evacuation drills as required and not providing truthful information. An investigation was conducted on April 9, 2025. This complaint is substantiated because according to evacuation drill logs reviewed, evacuations were not completed for February and March of 2025. Additionally, all evacuations completed during the previous year were conducted during the same time of day and none occurred during nap time as required. All staff interviewed had various responses when asked how often the center completes evacuation drills. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation staff are not providing truthful information, because according to staff interviewed, they have never been asked by the administration to lie to licensing. |
| Jan 14, 2025 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On December 9, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding the center s photograph and video policy in their handbook. An investigation was conducted on December 12, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because although Staff #1 uses her personal tablet in the classroom, she was granted permission by management to do so and only takes photographs and videos through the center application used for families. Staff #1 further stated there was one time in which a parent requested a specific photograph of a child to be sent to her, but it was not of Child #1. In review of Child #1 s file, the parent/guardian granted permission for the child to be photographed and videoed. The center s Employee Handbook and Parent Handbook both contain policies on photographing and videoing children, and the center s current operations is in accordance with these policies. |
| Nov 12, 2024 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On October 21, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper staff-to-child ratio and lack of supervision. An investigation was conducted on October 22, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because according to attendance records reviewed, the four-year-old classroom was following proper staff-to-child ratio on October 17, 2024. Additionally, according to Staff #2, she was in the classroom observing children playing in stations. She turned to say hello to Staff #1 who was entering the room, when the incident occurred. |
| Oct 8, 2024 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On Monday September 9, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding not maintaining proper room temperature. An investigation was conducted on September 12, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because Administrator #1 stated the air conditioning was never out of service for an entire day and each classroom was monitoring the temperature with thermometers. Administrator #1 stated the center utilized temporary cooling units as approved by OCCL in their variance, and the temperature never exceeded the maximum allowed. Additionally, Administrator #1 stated a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) company made repairs on September 7, 2024, and verified the unit was still operating correctly on September 9, 2024. |
| Jul 30, 2024 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On July 11, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding lack of supervision, the center not following their termination policy, and discrimination. An investigation was conducted on July 16, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint, because Child #1 was walking with Administrator #2 when she ran to the front door and opened it. Child #1 was unable to make it past the threshold before Administrator #1, Administrator #2, and Staff #1 reached her. Additionally, a behavior support plan signed by the parent of Child #1 explains a continuation of behaviors may lead to disenrollment from the center. Lastly, Administrator #1 denied allegations the center was discriminating against Child #1. Administrator #1 stated Child #1 s enrollment was terminated due to escalating behaviors after a plan was put into place, including safety issues such as attempting to run out of the center while with a staff member. |
| Feb 1, 2024 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on January 11, 2024, regarding lack of supervision and staff communication. An investigation was conducted on January 23, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because staff interviewed stated they were trained on the purpose of the tracker form and how to complete it. According to the fall tracker presented to LS Brey, the staff have been filling it out since its implementation. According to Staff #1, she was providing active supervision to the children in the classroom when Child #1 began to cry. Staff #1 stated she did not see what happened to cause Child #1 to cry and Child #1 did not state what happened. Staff #1 stated she immediately went over to Child #1 and provided care. According to Staff #2, there were no physical symptoms of an injury on Child #1 s head. |
| Dec 1, 2023 | OCCL Standards Complaint: Substantiated | The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on November 2, 2023, regarding improper discipline. And investigation began on November 15, 2023, and ended on November 29, 2023. The complaint is substantiated because Staff #1 was seen on the video pulling Child #1 up to his feet by his arm, resulting in a pulled elbow. |
| Nov 8, 2023 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on October 9, 2023, regarding improper discipline. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint because staff denied throwing the child s food away and stated the child cleans up after herself. |
| Nov 6, 2023 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on October 11, 2023, regarding not following the center s termination policy and improper staff communication. An investigation was conducted on October 23, 2023. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because all staff denied anyone communicating improperly to the parent and the facility s termination policy in the handbook was followed because it states the families have a code of conduct and according to the administrator, Parent #1 did not follow that code because she was being rude, disrespectful, and loud. |
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?
- 2026: 2 facility injuries. No facility deaths reported.
- 2025: 3 facility injuries. No facility deaths reported.
- 2024: 3 facility injuries. No facility deaths reported.
- 2023: 7 facility injuries. No facility deaths reported.
- 2022: 4 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 Oct 23, 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 Oct 23, 2026. Updated daily.
| Place | Violations cited in the last three years |
|---|---|
| Gift of Love Early Learning Center | Not given |
| Little Kid’s Swagg Learning Center, LLC | Not given |
| Patrice Battaglia | Not given |
| Elizabeth E. Walls | Not given |
| Iris Coleman-Buckner DBA Mini Miracles Playschool, LLC | Not given |
| Cadence Academy Preschool-Smyrna This child care provider | Not given |
| Children & Families First Head Start Smyrna | Not given |
| Rainbow Xpress Learning Academy, LLC. | Not given |
| Georgina Ruiz | Not given |
| C4d Kidz Nursery | Not given |
| Kirsten Swift | Not given |
| Brightpath Smyrna | 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
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Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities (iuzd-3dbt).
Released Oct 23, 2026 and checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily. Public Domain.
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Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Compliance Review Information (wb83-pkcv).
Released Oct 23, 2026 and checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily. Public Domain.
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Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Child Care Licensing Complaint Reviews (pnbd-85r6).
Released Oct 23, 2026 and checked Oct 24, 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 Oct 24, 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.