Find a program / Delaware / Lincoln / FIRST STEPS PRESCHOOL, LLC
Child care center · Lincoln, DE
FIRST STEPS PRESCHOOL, LLC
A licensed child care center in Lincoln, 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: 10037 DUPONT BOULEVARD, Lincoln, DE 19960
Phone: (302) 422-6565
Ages served: 6 weeks through 12 years.
Age group: Infant through School-Age
Licensed capacity: 71 children
OCCL license number: 672760
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)
- 3 visits where violations were cited (the state's file doesn't list visits where nothing was cited)
- 9 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 5 visits with violations in the state's file (which starts November 12, 2021), newest first, with 17 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.
June 23, 2026 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 4 violations
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by July 7, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, July 22, 2026 · 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, parents right to know notice, and screen time permission. One child needs a health appraisal land immunization record. One child needs an updated health appraisal.
Indoor Space
Regulation code 49U · Correct by July 7, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, July 22, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure all sinks supply hot and cold water. The automatic sink in the school-age classroom and the automatic sink in the two-year-old classroom were observed to not supply hot water.
Toilet Facilities
Regulation code 51U · Correct by July 7, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, July 22, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure each toilet room has at least one sink with running water. The sinks in the two bathrooms located in the hallway were turned off. The owner stated the sinks are turned off to discourage the children from playing in the water, to ensure proper handwashing, and to cut down on the time spent in the bathrooms. She stated handwashing occurs at the sink located in the school-age classroom.
Outdoor Area
Regulation code 53U · Correct by July 7, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, July 22, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure fall zone material is under all climbing equipment designed for the children's feet to leave the ground. Move the little tikes slide from the grass area in the toddler outdoor play area to the mulch fall zone.
June 4, 2025 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 2 violations
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by June 30, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, June 30, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs nine hour annual training hours, one in health and safety, medication certification and an annuall abuse and neglect review.
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by June 30, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, June 30, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Child #2 needs blood lead test results. Child #9 needs an updated health appraisal.
June 4, 2024 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 3 violations
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by June 18, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, July 15, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Staff #1 needs OCCL Health and Safety training, two reference letters and a health appraisal w/TB Staff #2 needs OCCL Health and Safety training and comprehensive background check Staff #3 needs one additional reference letter Staff #4 (not determined) needs 2 hours in health and safety training
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by June 18, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, July 15, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure child files are complete Child #1,5,7 and 13 need blood lead test results
Outdoor Area
Regulation code 53U · Correction status: Completed, July 15, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Add mulch to the fall zones where the children's feet leave the ground
Older than 3 years (not counted in the summary above)
June 22, 2023 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 4 violations
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by July 6, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, August 3, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. Eight staff members need to complete the Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals. One staff member needs a job description and two references. Two staff members need to be re-fingerprinted. One staff member needs an eligibility letter from CHU. One staff member needs an adult health appraisal with TB results. Three staff members need service letters.
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by July 6, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, August 3, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure child files are complete. One child needs a health appraisal, immunization record, and blood lead screening results. Two children need blood lead screening results.
Toilet Facilities
Regulation code 51U · Correct by June 22, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, June 22, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
The state's notes for this violation may name a person, so we don't show them here. They're in the state's published file (see Sources).
Outdoor Area
Regulation code 53U · Correct by July 6, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, August 3, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Replenish the mulch in all fall zone areas to ensure there is nine inches of mulch.
June 9, 2022 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 4 violations
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by July 13, 2022 · Correction status: Completed, August 2, 2022 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs 1st aid/CPR training, orientation, a job description and a health appraisal to include b Staff #2 needs a health appraisal with TB Staff #4 needs a health appraisal with TB Staff #5 needs needs a health appraisal Staff #8 needs a job description and references along w a release of employment form and a service letter Staff #11 needs safe sleep and annual review of abuse and neglect
Outdoor Area
Regulation code 53U · Correct by July 13, 2022 · Correction status: Completed, August 2, 2022 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Add mulch to the fall zones in the large play yard
Feeding of Infants
Regulation code 72U · Correct by July 13, 2022 · Correction status: Completed, July 6, 2022 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Update the feeding schedules for three infants
Program Goals and Planning
Regulation code 73U · Correct by June 9, 2022 · Correction status: Completed, June 9, 2022 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Lesson plans must be dated. This was corrected at the visit.
Complaint investigations
All 5 complaint investigations in the state's file (which starts November 29, 2021), newest first, with the result and the state's summary as published. In the state's summaries, "IA" is the state's Institutional Abuse Unit.
Completed December 29, 2025 · Result: Substantiated
Type (as published): OCCL Standards Complaint
The state's summary (as published)
The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint on November 13, 2025, regarding the center not following their stated open-door policy, not following the termination policy, accident injury procedures, and not being respectful. An investigation was conducted on November 25, 2025. This complaint is substantiated for accident injury procedures and not following the open-door policy because a head injury occurred and the parent/guardian was not notified immediately, and parents/guardian are not permitted into the building at drop-off and pick-up as multiple parents were observed waiting outside until their children were brought to the door for pick up. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegations that staff are not respectful, and do not follow the center's termination policy based on staff interviews and the written parent handbook policies.
Older than 3 years (not counted in the summary above)
Completed June 20, 2023 · Result: Unsubstantiated
Type (as published): OCCL Standards Complaint
The state's summary (as published)
The Institutional Abuse Unit (IAU) received a complaint on February 27, 2023, and The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) accepted the complaint on March 3, 2023, regarding improper discipline. On March 8, 2023, IAU stated their investigation would be closed with no evidence to substantiate abuse because the accident occurred on video footage as the center described, and no staff were involved. The owner self-reported the accident on February 27, 2023. The allegation of improper discipline is unsubstantiated because video footage showed Child #1 running, she fell, and then could not get back up.
Completed April 5, 2023 · Result: No Evidence to Substantiate
Type (as published): IA Investigation
The state's file has no summary for this investigation.
Completed July 5, 2022 · Result: No Evidence to Substantiate with Concern
Type (as published): OCCL Standards Complaint
The state's summary (as published)
OCCL received a complaint on June 24, 2022, regarding staff being unprofessional and not understanding the family's needs by requiring them to pick up their child within eight minutes. An investigation was conducted on July 1, 2022. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint because all staff confirmed following the appropriate procedure for sending children home for an illness or injury, and all staff denied having any knowledge of the administrator or other staff being unprofessional to the parents. A concern noted was Staff #1 left her classroom unattended to open the door.
Completed April 25, 2022 · Result: Substantiated
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 Lincoln · 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.