Loading
Pulling inspections, violations, and complaints.
Home › DE › Dover › Shell's Early Learning Center - Dover
868 S STATE ST, Dover DE 19901 · License #1094617 · Center · Licensed Child Care Center
When they operate
Ages served
Ages not published.
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.
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.
On September 5, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding diapering procedures, administration of medication, not following the center s health exclusion policy in the parent handbook, and not following their complaint policy in the parent handbook and/or providing owner contact information. An investigation was conducted on September 11, 2025. The complaint is substantiated for improper diapering procedures and administration of medication because according to Administrator #1, Staff #1 was not thoroughly cleaning children during diaper changes, and a Medication Administration Record (MAR) was not available for diaper cream for one child. There is no evidence to substantiate for not following the center s health exclusion policy in the handbook and not following their complaint policy in the handbook and/or providing owner contact information because staff denied the allegations and the policies were followed.
Disposition: Substantiated
On August 27, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received eight complaints and one self-reported event. In addition to the use of inappropriate language in the classroom as stated in the self-reported event, the Reporter(s) also alleged improper discipline, not using positive developmentally appropriate methods of behavior support for children, an insect infestation, no hand soap, no paper towels, and no toilet paper in the center. An investigation was conducted on August 29, 2024. The complaint is substantiated for improper discipline and not using positive developmentally appropriate methods of behavior support for children because video footage showed Staff #1 grab and pull-on Child #1 s arm and the staff member is heard yelling at the child. A second video showed Staff #1 cussing at a child. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation of an insect infestation because Owner #1 stated she has an exterminator visit the center once a month to treat the facility for insects. The licensing specialist also observed glue traps in the kitchen but did not observe any cockroaches or other bugs. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation of not having hand soap, paper towels, and toilet paper because the licensing specialist observed hand soap and paper towels at each classroom sink and hand soap, paper towels, and toilet paper in each bathroom. The licensing specialist also observed a supply closet full of paper towels and toilet paper and extra hand soap in a cabinet in the kitchen.
Disposition: Substantiated
Generated from this facility's specific inspection record
Data synced from Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing on Jul 10, 2026 · Source records · Report an error
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ensure equipment is sturdy and hazard free. Remove the broken metal chair and the broken plastic chair from the school-age classroom.
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.
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.
Ensure the first aid kit is complete. Purchase a first aid guide, gauze pads, thermometer, and tweezers.
Purchase a thermometer for the freezer in the infant classroom to ensure the temperature is at 0 degrees F or colder.
Post the positive behavior management statement/policy.
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.
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.
Ensure the renewal application is submitted at least 60 days prior to the license expiration.
Submit the general liability insurance to OCCL.
Ensure the EC Administrator (ECA) has the infant/toddler specialization training listed on the ECA certificate.
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.
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.
Purchase an instant cold pack and roll gauze for the first aid kit.
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.
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.
Ensure rest equipment is non-absorbent. Several nap mats in each classroom are ripped with exposed foam and need to be replaced.
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.
Purchase an emergency water supply.
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.
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 health appraisal with TB results.
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.
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.
Post a daily schedule in the two-year-old classroom.
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.
Ensure nap equipment is non-absorbent. Several nap mats are ripped throughout the building.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ensure thermometers are in refrigerators and freeze. Place thermometers in the infant refrigerator and freezer. Replace the thermometer in the kitchen refrigerator.
Ensure there is water for a shelter in place.
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.
Ensure diaper changing mats are free from tears. Replace diaper changing mat in the back two-year room and one-year-old classroom.
Ensure application is submitted 60 days before license expiration.
Ensure children's files are completed. Child #1 and Child # 10 need lead screening results.
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs administration of medication and six additional hours of annual training. Staff #2 needs four references.
Ensure radon testing is conducted within six months of renovations. This was corrected when radon testing was submitted to OCCL.
Repair the cubby with exposed wood to prevent injury in the two-year-old classroom. Replace the rusty mini-refrigerator in the infant classroom.
Repair the ventilation in the two-year-old classroom bathroom.
Purchase additional water to allow shelter in place for 24 hours.
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.
On June 18, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding a lack of supervision. An investigation was conducted on June 18, 2024. This complaint is substantiated because according to video footage on June 18, 2024, at 9:44 am, Child #1 ran from across playground, stopped by the gate, leaned into the gate, realized it opened, and ran out. The gate closed behind him. Staff #1 immediately got up and ran to the gate. Staff #1 looked out, turned around, got the other children inside of the fence, slammed the gate, and ran after Child #1. Staff #1 reentered the gate holding Child #1 at 9:45 am. A concern noted was the gate did not self-latch when opened about six inches but did close if it was opened more than six inches.
Disposition: Substantiated
On May 23, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper staff-to-child ratio. An investigation began on May 29, 2024, and concluded on June 14, 2024. This complaint is substantiated because according to attendance records on May 23, 2024, from 8:09 am 8:15 am, a classroom containing one and two-year-olds was over ratio with up to 13 children with only one staff person. A second staff person did not sign in to the classroom until 8:35 am. An additional concern noted, was the diaper-changing mat in the one-year-old classroom was dirty and ripped.
Disposition: Substantiated
The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on October 5, 2023, regarding not following accident/injury procedures. An investigation was conducted on October 16, 2023. This complaint is substantiated for not following accident/injury procedures because the facility did not document notifying the parent of the injury to the head that occurred on October 4, 2023. Staff #3 stated she applied ice to the forehead but did not notify the parent that Child #1 got hit on the forehead.
Disposition: Substantiated
OCCL received a complaint on August 3, 2022, regarding the center not following accident and injury procedures. An investigation began on August 5, 2022, and concluded on August 8, 2022. This complaint is substantiated because a copy of the accident/injury report was not available at the time it was requested and once the report was submitted, it shows the report was signed by the parent on August 8, 2022. In addition, the report did not have a description of the injury and it did not reflect first aid was administered to Child #1 like Staff #1 stated.
Disposition: Substantiated