Christopher Early Learning Center Inc.
A licensed child care center in Wilmington, Delaware 19802
4001 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19802. (302) 764-7162.
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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?
6 visits with violations in the last three years, the latest on Sep 3, 2026; Delaware doesn’t list visits that found nothing.
8 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
8 violations in 6 months of the last 36. Last cited Sep 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.
Sep 3, 2026: unannounced1 violation
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Children’s Attendance
The inspectors’ words, 198 words
“LS observed one staff w/ 6 children in preschool. Both LS observed at 10:15 that there were 4 children w/ Ms. Lilly, 3 older SA and one toddler. Harris said 3 SA were a part of the private school, which he stated is open 9-1:00 pm, and they came in after 9:00 am with Ms. Lilly and were eating breakfast together. Toddler is part of CELC, and the drop-off cutoff is 9 am. At 9:00 am, the private school children should not be together with CELC. This was discussed with Harris. The toddler room did not have an attendance sheet as of 10:15 when the 4 children arrived some time after 9:00, per Harris. A licensee shall have and use a system for documenting children s attendance that includes the exact arrival and departure times in the child s classroom and be entered at the time of the arrival and departure of the child. The children were not signed into the room or center. LS #1 and LS #2 reminded the Administrator of the regulation that all children and staff need to be signed in at arrival. Administrator #1 agreed to ensure staff will comply in the future.”
Jun 17, 2026: unannounced1 violation
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Children’s Attendance
“3 kids not signed in; 2 kids not signed out. This was corrected during the visit.”
Apr 29, 2026: unannounced1 violation
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Children’s Attendance
“Ensure attendance for children is accurate. Upon arrival, 14 children were on the playground with 9 signed in. This was corrected at the visit. 3 children from Maranatha were present and combined. Maranatha was closed today as well as Red Clay School District.”
Feb 18, 2026: unannounced Full Compliance Review3 violations
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Personnel Files
“Ensure staff members have complete service letters or two additional references.”
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Child Files
“Ensure child files are complete. Dates and hours attending needed for Child #1,2,3,8,16 *send all dates attending and hours attending for all children enrolled”
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Administration of Medication
“Ensure administration of medication record is completed. Send MAR form for Child #14”
Feb 5, 2025: unannounced Full Compliance Review1 violation
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Child Files
“Ensure child files are complete. Child # 5, 7 need immunization record and blood lead results OR notarized exemption letters”
Feb 1, 2024: unannounced Full Compliance Review1 violation
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Personnel Files
“All staff files must be complete. Send the 7-hour health and safety training for one staff member.”
All 6 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | Unannounced | 1 violation cited |
| Jun 17, 2026 | Unannounced | 1 violation cited |
| Apr 29, 2026 | Unannounced | 1 violation cited |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 3 violations cited |
| Feb 5, 2025 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 1 violation cited |
| Feb 1, 2024 | Unannounced Full Compliance Review | 1 violation cited |
Is it licensed?
- Licensed Child Care Center.
- Ages served, in Delaware’s words: 6 weeks through 12 years.
- Takes part in: Child Care Food Program (meals reimbursed), Purchase of Care (state-subsidized child care).
- Licence number 428845.
- Capacity: 49 children.
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing, Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated daily.
Has Delaware acted against it?
- 6 complaint investigations in the last three years. Results, in Delaware’s words: Substantiated (3), No Evidence to Substantiate (1), No Evidence to Substantiate with Concern (1), Unsubstantiated with Concern (1).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2026 | OCCL Standards Complaint: Substantiated | : On August 31, 2026, OCCL received a complaint regarding allegations of improper behavior supports and failing to have and follow a policy stating parents or guardians visits and monitoring of the program are welcomed and permitted without prior approval. An investigation was conducted on September 3, 2026. This complaint is substantiated for failing to follow a policy stating parents’ or guardians’ visits and monitoring of the program are welcomed and permitted without prior approval. Staff #1 told a parent the rule is to inform the center first before they can visit. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for improper behavior supports. Staff #1 stated Administrator #1 only comes into their classroom when help is requested with behaviors, and no improper behavior supports have been observed. Additional concerns noted at the visit were the combining of the Maranatha Academy children and the child care children and the absence of attendance record documentation for the children and staff present at the time of the visit. |
| Jan 23, 2026 | OCCL Standards Complaint: Substantiated | The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received multiple complaints on six separate dates in December regarding a lack of supervision, classrooms out of ratio, not following a schedule, not restricting use of electronics, bribing children with gift cards, not providing developmentally appropriate activities, not using respectful communication, not following the center s posted menu, not following required meal pattern requirements, improper transportation, not allowing access to the facility, failure to report abuse or neglect, and falsifying attendance records. On December 8, 2025, December 17, 2025, and December 22, 2025, unannounced complaint investigations were conducted. Based on the results of the investigation, this complaint is substantiated because attendance documents from the weeks of December 1, 2025, and December 15, 2025, show several instances where both staff and children are not being signed in and out of the classrooms. At the time of the visits, children were observed engaging in unstructured and unsafe behavior, including running throughout the classroom without supervision, and one child sustained a head injury, and an accident injury report was not completed and the parent or guardian was not immediately notified. Staff #1 described the classroom environment as out of control, corroborating concerns regarding failure to provide developmentally appropriate educational activities. Staff #1 reported children play on tablets and phones for extended periods, and that Child #2 and Child #3 are bribed with Roblox gift cards to allow prolonged device use. OCCL observed Child #2 and Child #3 using tablets not related to educational uses. It was also observed by OCCL that children were not provided with developmentally appropriate activities, and they were not being engaged by classroom staff. On multiple visits, the food served did not match the posted menu, and menu changes were not documented. Open and improperly labeled food was also observed in the kitchen. Transportation and off-site supervision concerns were substantiated when Staff #1 took Child #4 off-site during her lunch break to run an errand. Administrator #1 provided inaccurate and inconsistent information to OCCL. Administrator #1 reported Child #1 did not attend the child care center and was homeschooled; however, attendance records show Child #1 signed into the center on multiple dates. Purchase of Care (POC) representatives reported that Administrator #1 submitted claims for at least one child who should not have been receiving funds. Administrator #1 also reported Staff #2 was present and working in a classroom; however, Staff #2 was not signed into the center, and Staff #1 stated Staff #2 was not functioning as a classroom staff member. Administrator #1 further denied Staff #2 brought children from her Family Child Care Home to the center, despite Staff #1 and the Reporter stating these children were present and not signed in on the attendance records. |
| Sep 26, 2024 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate | On August 19, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding lack of supervision involving a specific staff member. A complaint investigation was conducted on August 23, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for lack of supervision. Based on a review of OCCL records, interviews of staff members and the administrator, and classroom observations, there is and has not been a staff member with the name provided by the Reporter. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for lack of supervision. |
| Aug 14, 2024 | OCCL Standards Complaint: No Evidence to Substantiate with Concern | On June 26, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding allegations of improper discipline and exceeding maximum screen time usage. An investigation was conducted on July 3, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for improper discipline because Administrator #1 denied spanking Child #1 or any child in the facility. Administrator #1 stated Child #1 was attempting to harm Child #2 and did not want Parent #3 to be notified, which triggered Child #1 s reaction. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for overuse of screen time because Administrator #1 stated children participate in screen time at the end of the day for 30 minutes and stated Child #1 does not have a tablet at the facility. A concern noted was Administrator #1 stated they do not force children to correct negative behaviors and they let everything come to pass, which could be an unsafe or ineffective strategy for managing a classroom. Administrator #1 also noted they do not utilize behavior plans in an effort to help the families. |
| Dec 8, 2023 | IA Investigation: Unsubstantiated with Concern | Delaware gives no summary. |
| Nov 21, 2023 | OCCL Standards Complaint: Substantiated | On August 22, 2023, and August 30, 2023, two complaints regarding improper discipline were called into the Child Abuse and Neglect Line and accepted for investigation by the Institutional Abuse Unit (IAU) and the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL). An unannounced visit was conducted by OCCL and IAU on August 30, 2023. This complaint is substantiated for improper discipline because four out of five school-age children who were interviewed stated they had either been hit or had seen other children hit by Staff #1. The children all stated Staff #1 uses a ruler, which was found in the location disclosed by the children. |
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?
- No facility injuries reported. 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 |
|---|---|
| Christopher Early Learning Center Inc. This child care provider | Not given |
| Kool Kids Learning Center | Not given |
| Chosen Children Child Care, LLC | Not given |
| Donna Nichols | Not given |
| Carter’s Child Care and Learning Center | Not given |
| Shining Stars Childcare Inc. | Not given |
| My Children Childcare Center, LLC | Not given |
| Lily Dollard | Not given |
| Little Hearts Childcare, LLC | Not given |
| Little Legends Learning & Family Development Center | Not given |
| Boys & Girls Club @ Warner Elementary | Not given |
| Brandy Moore | Not given |
| The Choir School of Delaware | 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
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