On December 11 and 12, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received two complaints regarding concerns of improper staff-to-child ratio, lack of supervision, and use of cell phones while caring for children. An unannounced visit was conducted on December 23, 2025. On January 6, 2026, a follow-up unannounced visit was conducted. This complaint is substantiated for improper staff-to-child ratio and exceeding maximum group size because upon arrival on December 11, 2025, there were 22 children ranging in age from infants to preschool-age gathered in one classroom. This complaint is also substantiated for use of cell phones while caring for children because two staff were observed using their phones upon OCCL s arrival to the classroom. While Administrator #1 stated she was unaware of group size requirements for mixed age groups, the center was cited for a nearly identical situation on December 18, 2023, and discussed with Administrator #1 at that time. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for concerns of lack of supervision due to staff leaving classrooms unattended. During both site visits, this was not observed. Additional concerns noted during this investigation include an infant sleeping in a car seat, children under two years of age being engaged in screen time, children being cared for in a space not approved for care, attendance records being unavailable and not showing proper transition tracking. Attendance records show infant children signed in prior to the arrival of staff in the classroom and a staff member without a DEEDS Early Learning qualification providing care to children alone. Attendance records submitted from the date of the first complaint investigation visit on December 23, 2025, did not reflect the children being moved to different classrooms; they showed 21 children combined until pickup.

Disposition: Substantiated

On December 7, 2023, a complaint was received by the Office of Child Care Licensing regarding concerns of lack of supervision, incorrect staff-to-child ratio, and improper use of screen time. An unannounced visit was conducted on December 8, 2023. This complaint is substantiated because Ms. Turner acknowledged inadequate staffing. Ms. Turner described her understanding of DELACARE regulations regarding screen time and required staff-to-child ratios when children of mixed ages are combined, but this information was incorrect. As a result, classrooms were combined with too many children, and children were watching movies for longer than the permitted time. Attendance records received at this visit verified there were up to 32 children present in one room with the one-year-old children present and three staff members. An additional concern noted was attendance records for staff and children were not being completed accurately, as they did not show when children were combined, and one staff member did not sign out for a break.