Find a program / Delaware / Dover / TENDER HEARTS LEARNING CENTER
Child care center · Dover, DE
TENDER HEARTS LEARNING CENTER
A licensed child care center in Dover, Delaware, with its state inspection and complaint history from the Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL).
Program details
Program type: Licensed child care center
Address: 1339 SOUTH GOVERNORS AVENUE, Dover, DE 19904
Phone: (302) 674-2565
Ages served: 1 year through 10 years.
Age group: Toddler through School-Age
Licensed capacity: 97 children
OCCL license number: 491838
Current enforcement action (as published): none listed in the state's file
Injuries reported to the state (as published): the state's file lists injuries in the last 5 years that needed medical or dental treatment. No facility injuries reported. No facility deaths reported.
View the official record on Delaware's child care search (search for the program's name).
Inspection history
Last 3 years (November 12, 2023 to November 12, 2026, when the state's files were last updated)
- 4 visits where violations were cited (the state's file doesn't list visits where nothing was cited)
- 11 violations cited on these visits
- 1 complaint investigation completed (Substantiated: 1)
A violation means a licensing specialist found that a Delaware licensing rule wasn't met. The state gives the program a date to correct each one and records when it was corrected. Complaint results use the state's own terms, as published. Read the official record for details.
Visits with violations
All 6 visits with violations in the state's file (which starts November 12, 2021), newest first, with 22 violations in all. The state's file lists only visits where a rule was cited, so visits where nothing was cited are not shown. Each violation shows the state's short title for the rule, its regulation code, the date the state set for the fix and the correction status as published.
August 13, 2026 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 2 violations
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by August 31, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, August 30, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff needs letter of eligibility
Outdoor Area
Regulation code 53U · Correct by August 31, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, August 14, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure fall zones have at least 9 inches of material. Playgrounds need mulch replenished. Ensure gates are self-closing/ self-latching. Gate exiting the playground has broke latch.
August 18, 2025 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 2 violations
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by September 20, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, September 23, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure child files are complete. One child needs blood lead screening and an MAR on file.
Outdoor Area
Regulation code 53U · Correct by September 20, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, September 23, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure fall zones extend at least six feet in all directions and has at least nine inches deep of material. The two year old and preschool playgrounds need mulch.
September 4, 2024 · Unannounced · 2 violations
Ratios, Group Size, and Supervision
Regulation code 27U · Correct by September 6, 2024 · Correction status: Completed
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff to child ratios and supervision is maintained at all times. Specialist noted two teachers and one aide supervising three classrooms during naptime.
General Qualifications
Regulation code 28U · Correct by September 6, 2024 · Correction status: Completed
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure each staff member supervising children have been fingerprinted and deemed eligible before being left alone with children. Specialist noted an aide watching a classroom of children.
August 28, 2024 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 5 violations
Ratios, Group Size, and Supervision
Regulation code 27U · Correct by August 28, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, August 28, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure interns under the age of 18 are supervised at all times. Specialist noted two underage interns with 10 children on the playground. This was discussed and corrected at the visit when a ECT arrived to the classroom.
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by September 13, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, September 17, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff needs 2 training hours in Health and Safety. One staff needs an adult health appraisal with TB on OCCL's form.
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by September 13, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, September 17, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure child files are complete. Two children need blood lead screenings.
Indoor Space
Regulation code 49U · Correct by August 28, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, August 28, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure air fresheners are not used during child care hours. This was discussed and corrected at visit when the provider took down the air freshener in the lobby area.
Kitchen and Food Preparation
Regulation code 50U · Correct by September 13, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, September 10, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure all food in the kitchen is labeled with the contents and expiration dates.
Older than 3 years (not counted in the summary above)
August 4, 2023 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 6 violations
Staffing
Regulation code 26U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure a teacher or higher is trained in the absence of the administrator and documented in the staff members file.
General Qualifications
Regulation code 28U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure a comprehensive background check is completed every five years. Three staff need to complete a five year comprehensive background check.
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. Two staff need job descriptions, one staff needs four reference letters, nine staff need a letter of eligibility on file.
Equipment
Regulation code 57U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, August 4, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure enough equipment is available at all times the three-year-old classroom needs music equipment.
Diapering and Soiled Clothing
Regulation code 61U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, August 4, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure a non-porous surface is used. the one and two year old classroom need changing pads. Ensure diapers are disposed of in a foot activated pail for diapers only.
Activity Schedule
Regulation code 76U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure a schedule is posted. The Pre-K classroom had no schedule posted.
August 1, 2023 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 5 violations
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure child files are complete. One child needs a blood lead screening test. One child needs a complete file.
Indoor Space
Regulation code 49U · Correct by August 4, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure all trash cans have lids on them at all times. LS observed the Pre-K classroom a lid off a trash can that had food waste and other trash items in it. The bathroom has a trash can with out a lid. Ensure the classroom walls are in good repair. the one and two year old classrooms need paint applied in various areas of the room.
Kitchen and Food Preparation
Regulation code 50U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure the refrigerator and freezer maintain proper temperatures. A freezer thermometer read 10 degrees Fahrenheit. A refrigerator read 42 degrees Fahrenheit.
Outdoor Area
Regulation code 53U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure fall zones are nine inches in depth for wood chips.
Lesson Plans
Regulation code 74U · Correct by August 18, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, September 5, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure the lesson plan must include at least one daily activity for physical, social-emotional, language and literacy, and cognitive development. Allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, part of the group, or independently must be included. Cooking, food exploration, or healthy habits, such as talking about healthy habits or comparing the taste and texture of different foods; science and nature investigation, music and rhythm, multi-sensory play.
Complaint investigations
All 2 complaint investigations in the state's file (which starts November 29, 2021), newest first, with the result and the state's summary as published.
Completed April 4, 2025 · Result: Substantiated
Type (as published): OCCL Standards Complaint
The state's summary (as published)
On March 14, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper staff-to-child ratio. An investigation was conducted on March 17, 2025. This complaint is substantiated for improper staff-to-child ratio because according to attendance records, the one/two-year-old classroom was over ratio on March 10, 2025 with up to nine children, the youngest being an infant, with two unqualified staff from 9:06 am until 2:44 pm; on March 11, 2025, with up to ten children, the youngest being an infant, with two unqualified staff from 8:46 am until 3:40 pm; and on March 12, 2025, with up to ten children, the youngest being an infant, with two unqualified staff from 8:46 am until 3:40 pm. A concern noted was staff stated a child under the age of one, who cannot walk, was sleeping on a cot and not in a crib or pack-n-play.
Older than 3 years (not counted in the summary above)
Completed September 16, 2022 · Result: No Evidence to Substantiate
Type (as published): OCCL Standards Complaint
The state's summary of this complaint may name a person, so we don't show it here. It's in the state's published file (see Sources).
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More programs in Dover · Delaware child care rules
Sources
- Licensed Child Care Providers and Facilities: program details, enforcement action and injuries report.
- Child Care Licensing Compliance Review Information: visits, violations, corrections and specialist notes.
- Child Care Licensing Complaint Reviews: complaint investigations, results and summaries.
All three are published by the Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing on data.delaware.gov as Public Domain and cover about the last five years. State files updated November 12, 2026. We show the state's text as published. Program details last checked October 21, 2026.