Licensed Child Care Center
✓ Licensed
Shell's Early Learning Center - Dover
Dover, DE
· Kent County
868 S STATE ST,
Dover, DE 19901
Quick Facts
Capacity
84 children
Age Range
8 weeks through 12 years.
Subsidized Program
Does not participate
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Licensed Licensed Child Care Center
Active License
License Number
1094617
Issued By
Delaware Department of Services For Children, Youth And Their Families
Licensor
District Office
State of Delaware, Office of Child Care Licensing
Reviews
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About the Provider
SHELL'S EARLY LEARNING CENTER - DOVER is a Licensed Child Care Center in DOVER DE, with a maximum capacity of 84 children. This child care center helps with children in the age range of 8 weeks through 12 years.. It is open Monday - Friday, 6:30 AM - 5:30 PM. The provider does not participate in a subsidized child care program.
Additional Information:
Financial Arrangements: Purchase of Care; Reported Injuries & Deaths: 2024: 1 facility injury. No facility deaths reported.;
Hours of Operation
- Monday6:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- Tuesday6:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- Wednesday6:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- Thursday6:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- Friday6:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed
Inspection/Report History
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. Reports can also be verified with your local daycare licensing office.
| Date | Type | Regulation Code | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-28 | Non Compliance | 14U - Notification to OCCL | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure OCCL is notified within one business day in the event of an equipment breakdown that threatens the health and safety of children in care, including a loss of power. According to Owner #1, the building experienced a partial power outage that was caused by water intrusion affecting the facility s exterior wiring. OCCL was not notified of the loss of power. This was discussed and corrected when staff agreed to comply in the future. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Telephone |
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| 2025-09-05 | Non Compliance | 15U - Governing Body | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure the licensee, governing body, and employees follow all applicable federal, State, and local laws and regulations. During a complaint investigation on August 6, 2025, Executive Director #1 confirmed to OCCL that Owner #1 was currently in prison for tax issues related to the child care centers. This was discussed and corrected when Executive Director #1 agreed to comply in the future. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Facility Visit |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 20U - Positive Behavior Management | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Post the positive behavior management statement/policy. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 28U - General Qualifications | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure staff are fingerprinted and an eligibility determination or provisional eligibility is on file. A staff member was observed working in the one-year-old classroom with a qualified staff member. The staff member does not have eligibility or provisional eligibility on file. This was corrected when the staff member was removed from the facility. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Facility Visit |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 30U - Personnel Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure staff files are complete. Two staff members need professional development plans. Two staff members need CPR certification. Three staff members need first aid certification. One staff member needs to complete OCCL's Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals. Two staff members need two references. One staff member needs three references. One staff member needs an eligibility letter. One staff member needs adult abuse registry check. Three staff members need an adult health appraisal with TB results. One staff member needs a complete release of employment history and corresponding service letters. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 40U - Child Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure child files are complete. One child needs a health appraisal and immunization record. Four children need blood lead screening results. Two children need infant feeding schedules. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 45U - Hazardous Materials | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure hazardous materials are stored inaccessible and cleaners are locked up. Multiple cleaners were observed in an unlocked cabinet in the one-year-old classroom. Remove the cleaners or lock the cabinet. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 49U - Indoor Space | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure all areas are clean and in safe condition. The non-slip mat on one of the steps leading to the Pre-k classroom is lifted causing a tripping hazard. Clean the sink located in the three-year-old classroom. Ensure walls are cleanable and in good repair. The baseboard in the bathroom located by the kitchen needs repaired/covered. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 50U - Kitchen and Food Preparation | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Purchase a thermometer for the freezer in the infant classroom to ensure the temperature is at 0 degrees F or colder. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 51U - Toilet Facilities | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure liquid soap is accessible for hand washing. Several bars of soap and a bottle of liquid soap were observed in the bathroom located in the three-year-old classroom. Ensure bathrooms are located in the two-year-old classroom needs to be cleaned. Mold was observed in the toilet bowl and around the base of the toilet was dirty. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 53U - Outdoor Area | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure all gates in the outdoor play area are self-closing and self-latching. The gate closest to the parking lot is no longer self-latching. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 56U - Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure nap equipment is non-absorbent. Several nap mats in the Pre-K classroom and two-year-old classroom were ripped causing them to no longer be non-absorbent. Ensure rest equipment is labeled. The nap mats in the two-year-old classroom were not labeled. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 57U - Equipment | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure equipment is sturdy and hazard free. Remove the broken metal chair and the broken plastic chair from the school-age classroom. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 58U - Sanitation | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure soap/water and sanitizer/disinfectant is available and used on items/equipment as required. The Pre-K classroom did not have soap/water and sanitizer/disinfectant available. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 65U - First Aid Kits | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure the first aid kit is complete. Purchase a first aid guide, gauze pads, thermometer, and tweezers. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 74U - Lesson Plans | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure lesson plans contain daily opportunities for physical, social-emotional, language/literacy, and cognitive development and weekly opportunities for each special activity. The lesson plan needs to be posted or available for review. A lesson plan was not available for the one-year-old classroom and two-year-old classroom. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2025-09-02 | Non Compliance | 8U - License Renewal | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure the renewal application is submitted at least 60 days prior to the license expiration. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 16U - Insurance Coverage | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Submit the general liability insurance to OCCL. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 24U - Staff Qualifications | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure the EC Administrator (ECA) has the infant/toddler specialization training listed on the ECA certificate. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 30U - Personnel Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure staff files are complete. One staff member needs CPR and first aid certification, OCCL's Health & Safety training, an adult abuse registry check, an adult health appraisal with TB results, completed release of employment history, and service letters or two documented attempts. Two staff members need a professional development plan, annual review of abuse and neglect, and annual review of safe sleep. One staff member needs OCCL's Health and Safety training, an eligibility letter, adult abuse registry check, and service letters or two documented attempts. One staff member needs CPR & first aid certification, a professional development plan, adult abuse registry check, an adult health appraisal with TB results, completed release of employment history, and service letters. One staff member needs annual review of safe sleep, an application, resume, or personal data sheet, employee declaration, drug/alcohol statement, an eligibility letter, an adult abuse registry check, and an adult | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 36U - Staff Attendance | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure staff attendance is documented to include exact hours worked in each classroom or area. A staff member did not sign out of the three-year-old classroom when she left. This was corrected when the staff member was signed out. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 40U - Child Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure child files are complete. One child needs a child information card. Two children need health appraisals. Two children need blood lead screening results. One child needs transportation permission. Two children need infant feeding schedules. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 49U - Indoor Space | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure counter surfaces are cleanable and in good repair. Repair the side strip of the counter in the bathroom located next to the two-year-old classroom. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 56U - Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure rest equipment is non-absorbent. Several nap mats in each classroom are ripped with exposed foam and need to be replaced. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 58U - Sanitation | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure soap and water and disinfectant are available to clean and sanitize items/equipment as required. the Pre-K and two-three-year-old classrooms need soap and water bottles. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 61U - Diapering and Soiled Clothing | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure the surface used for diaper changing is non-porous. The diaper-changing mat in the two/three-year-old classroom is ripped and needs to be replaced. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 65U - First Aid Kits | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Purchase an instant cold pack and roll gauze for the first aid kit. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 66U - Emergency Planning | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Purchase an emergency water supply. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2024-09-26 | Non Compliance | 8U - License Renewal | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure the renewal application is submitted at least 60 days prior to the license expiration. This was corrected when the application was received on 9/12/2024. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 30U - Personnel Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure staff files are complete. Four staff need training hours. Four staff need 2 hours of health and safety training. Five staff need professional development plans. Five staff need OCCL's health and safety training. Two staff need CPR and First Aid. One staff needs eligibility letter from CHU. Four staff need health appraisals with TB screening results. Two staff need service letters with two documented attempts. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 40U - Child Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure child files are complete. Child #1, #4, #5 need blood lead screening results. Child #4 and Child #5 need a development plan. Child #6 needs a health appraisal. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 49U - Indoor Space | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure all sinks supply hot and cold water. The sink in the 4/5 year old classroom's girls bathroom, the 3 year old classroom's bathroom and the sink in the 2 year old classroom did not supply hot water. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 53U - Outdoor Area | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Repair the gates in the outdoor play area to ensure they self close. Move the climbing equipment when children's feet leave the ground to the fall zone area. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 56U - Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure nap equipment is non-absorbent. Several nap mats are ripped throughout the building. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 61U - Diapering and Soiled Clothing | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Purchase a non-purpose surface for diaper changes for the infant and one-year-old classrooms. This was corrected when two new mats were purchased. Ensure disposable covers are used for each diaper change. The older/younger twos classroom did not have disposable covers are available. Ensure the area is cleaned with soap and water and disinfected after each diaper change. LS Mack observed the area not cleaned and sanitized after a diaper change in the two-year-old classroom. This was discussed and corrected when staff agreed to comply in the future. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Facility Visit |
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| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 74U - Lesson Plans | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure lesson plans contain weekly opportunities for each special activity. The three-year-old and four-year-old classrooms need a food or healthy habit added to their lesson plans. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 76U - Activity Schedule | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Post a daily schedule in the two-year-old classroom. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2023-09-26 | Non Compliance | 8U - License Renewal | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure the renewal application is submitted at least 60 days prior to the license expiration. This was corrected when the application was submitted at the visit. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 30U - Personnel Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure all staff files are completed. Staff # 1 needs an updated review of abuse and neglect. Staff #2 needs an orientation, job description, 2 references, and an adult abuse registry check. Staff #3 needs 2 references. Staff #4 needs orientation, job description, 2 references, declaration, drug and alcohol statement, adult abuse registry check, review of child abuse and neglect, and review of sleep safe. Staff #5 needs orientation. Staff #6 needs a professional development plan with goals. Staff 7 needs a job description, adult abuse registry check, and health appraisal with TB. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 40U - Child Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure children's files are completed. Child #1 and Child # 10 need lead screening results. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 49U - Indoor Space | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure all trash cans are working properly. Replace the trash can in the pre-k room and remove the broken trash can in the two-year-old room. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 50U - Kitchen and Food Preparation | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure thermometers are in refrigerators and freeze. Place thermometers in the infant refrigerator and freezer. Replace the thermometer in the kitchen refrigerator. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 61U - Diapering and Soiled Clothing | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure diaper changing mats are free from tears. Replace diaper changing mat in the back two-year room and one-year-old classroom. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 66U - Emergency Planning | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure there is water for a shelter in place. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 74U - Lesson Plans | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure lesson plans are hanging up in each classroom. Send over a week of lesson plans. Classrooms with outdated lesson plans were the one-year-old room, two-year-old room, and pre-k room. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2022-09-01 | Non Compliance | 8U - License Renewal | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure application is submitted 60 days before license expiration. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2021-12-03 | Non Compliance | 30U - Personnel Files | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs administration of medication and six additional hours of annual training. Staff #2 needs four references. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2021-12-03 | Non Compliance | 45U - Hazardous Materials | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Ensure radon testing is conducted within six months of renovations. This was corrected when radon testing was submitted to OCCL. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Facility Visit |
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| 2021-12-03 | Non Compliance | 49U - Indoor Space | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Repair the cubby with exposed wood to prevent injury in the two-year-old classroom. Replace the rusty mini-refrigerator in the infant classroom. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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| 2021-12-03 | Non Compliance | 51U - Toilet Facilities | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Repair the ventilation in the two-year-old classroom bathroom. | |||
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Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2021-12-03 | Non Compliance | 53U - Outdoor Area | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Repair the gate facing the front of the facility to ensure it is self-closing. Repair the chipping paint on the side of the building. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
|||
| 2021-12-03 | Non Compliance | 66U - Emergency Planning | Completed |
| Corrective Action: Purchase additional water to allow shelter in place for 24 hours. | |||
|
Provider Response: (Contact the State Licensing Office for more information.) Document |
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