Description:
Learning Tree Academy (LTA), an early childhood education facility, is a privately owned and operated independent school. Tony and Cassie Martina, husband and wife, opened the center back in June of 2003. This has always been a dream of Cassie’s to open a center that is focused on providing families with the highest quality of education along with the feeling of being one BIG family. Learning Tree Academy serves children from the age of six weeks to the age of twelve years old. Children are provided with engaging activities which offer a variety of hands on experiences geared to meet diverse learning styles of each individual. The teachers strive to provide each child with age appropriate exploration and student led activities.
Financial Arrangements: Purchase of Care; Reported Injuries & Deaths: 2015: 2 facility injuries and no facility deaths reported.
2016: 3 facility injuries and no facility deaths reported.
2017: 7 facility injuries and no facility deaths reported.
2018: 2 facility injuries and no facility deaths reported.; Stars Rating: Five Stars;
Where possible, ChildcareCenter provides inspection reports as a service to families. This information is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed. We encourage families to contact the daycare provider directly with any questions or concerns, as the provider may have already addressed some or all issues. Reports can also be verified with your local daycare licensing office.
| Date | Type | Regulation Code | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-12 | Non Compliance | 53U - Outdoor Area | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Sand the rough patches on the large picnic table on the playground. | |||
| 2020-03-12 | Non Compliance | 40U - Child Files | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: All child files must be complete. - (41) Obtain immunization records for Child #3. | |||
| 2020-03-12 | Non Compliance | 49U - Indoor Space | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Covered trash cans are needed in the bathrooms in classrooms #12; #9; #5; #13. -Repair (paint) where the paint is off the wall in room #12. -Repair the back splash wall in the bathroom of room #9. | |||
| 2020-03-12 | Non Compliance | 74U - Lesson Plans | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Correct the lesson plans in room #6 to include the weekly activities for food/healthy habits; science; and sensory. | |||
| 2020-03-12 | Non Compliance | 30U - Personnel Files | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: All staff files must be complete. -(35) First aid certification is needed for Staff #18. -1 hour of health and safety training is needed for Staff #7, #8, #9, #11, #15, #20, #24. -A professional development plan is needed for Staff #5. -annual review of abuse and neglect and safe sleep forms are needed for Staff #34. -Reference letters are needed for Staff #12 (2); #26 (4); #27 (4); #33 (4); #37 (4). -A fingerprinting eligibility letter is needed for Staff #1 -an adult abuse registry check is needed for Staff #27. -A health appraisal and TB results are needed for Staff #9; #10; #13; #38; #33. -A service letter (or 4 reference letters) is needed for Staff #26 and Staff #37. | |||
| 2020-03-12 | Non Compliance | 61U - Diapering and Soiled Clothing | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Replace the diaper changing mats in Classrooms #9; #3; #4A; #4B, and any other classrooms where the mat is torn. | |||
| 2019-03-06 | Non Compliance | 64N - Feeding of Infants | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Label all bottles and sippy cups. | |||
| 2019-03-06 | Non Compliance | 20N - Personnel files | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: All staff files must be complete. -Per regulation #34- obtain CPR and first aid qualifications for one staff person. -Write professional development plans for six staff people. -Obtain fingerprints for one staff person immediately. -Print an adult abuse registry check for one staff person. -Obtain health appraisals and TB results for two staff people. -Obtain service letters for one staff person. | |||
| 2019-03-06 | Non Compliance | 19N - Child files | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: All child files must be complete. -Obtain parent handbook receipt and screen time signatures for one child. | |||
| 2018-10-22 | Non Compliance | 65N - Positive behavior management | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Staff must use positive behavior management techniques. Corporal punishment of any kind is not permitted. The staff person involved had her employment terminated on 10-10-2018. After discussion with Megan Coats and Cassie and Tony Martina, the non-compliance was marked corrected at visit. | |||
| 2018-03-28 | Non Compliance | 20N - Personnel files | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: All staff files must be complete. -Obtain three reference letters for one staff person. -Obtain a drug/alcohol prohibition signature for one staff person. -Print an adult abuse check for two staff people. -Obtain a health appraisal for one staff person. -Obtain service letters for two staff people. -Per regulation #22- obtain a fingerprinting receipt for one staff person who turned 18. | |||
| 2017-03-09 | Non Compliance | 49N - Emergency planning | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Obtain an emergency water supply for 24 hours, for all children and staff. | |||
| 2017-03-09 | Non Compliance | 20N - Personnel files | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: All staff files must be complete. -Obtain reference letters for six staff people. -Obtain a health appraisal and TB results for one staff person. -Questions #19 and #20 must be answered on health appraisals of five staff people. -Obtain annual safe sleep form for one staff person. -Obtain annual review of abuse and neglect forms for two staff people. | |||
| 2017-03-09 | Non Compliance | 19N - Child files | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Child files must be complete. -Per Reg. #42- Obtain mat permissions for two children. | |||
| 2017-03-09 | Non Compliance | 66N - Program goals and planning | Corrected |
| Corrective Action: Complete special weekly activities on lesson plans for rooms #4A, #4B, #7, # 9, #11, and #12, as documented. | |||
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Our experience with LTA was absolutely terrible. My son was in their preschool program for 2 days before getting sick. We were later notified they had a positive case of Covid in his room. They did not quarantine the kids who were exposed, did not ask anyone to get tested, and allowed all the kids to return the next school day.
When I asked the director why they were not following the regulations on their license, she told me they were only required to call the “CDC.” Which everyone knows you don’t call the “CDC.” Maybe she meant to say DPH (Delaware Department of Health) but either way, she was completely incorrect.
I called the Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing and a supervisor assured me that they most definitely do HAVE to follow the regulations stated on their license. Which states any exposed kids who were in close contact with the positive case (w/in 6ft for longer than 15min—-which would be ALL the kids) HAD to quarantine for at least 10 days.
Not only did the director lie to me on the phone about following the requirements, she then acted like I was offending HER by merely bringing up my extreme concern over what they were doing.
Like that wasn’t bad enough, then the owner called me and was so incredibly rude and unprofessional. She also lied to me about following their health regulations, insulted and mocked me for telling her I would be reporting her, and then proceeded to tell me I wouldn’t be allowed back in the building to get my son’s things. She told me his stuff would be outside in their mailbox…I know….it really doesn’t get worse then this.
I was a paying parent who had every right to questions their obvious neglect, and was treated in the most disgusting.
I cannot believe they would act in such an irresponsible way with our most vulnerable population—our babies. I trusted them with what means the most in the world to me and they completely failed and acted as if it didn’t even matter. So sad someone in the CHILD care business would act so careless with our CHILDREN.
***Please feel free to reply to this if you want the contact for who I spoke to at the Office of Child Care Licensing. She said she would gladly explain to any parent what the REAL health regulations are regarding COVID. Or you can easily look up the Child Care License on your own and it very clearly states what MUST be done. LTA did NONE of the things listed on their license.
****This center cannot be trusted to be honest to parents or be trusted with the safety of a child.****