Find a program / Delaware / Selbyville / THE NEXT STEP LEARNING CENTER, INC.
Child care center · Selbyville, DE
THE NEXT STEP LEARNING CENTER, INC.
A licensed child care center in Selbyville, 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: 2 E CHURCH ST, Selbyville, DE 19975
Phone: (302) 436-3633
Ages served: 6 weeks through 12 years.
Age group: Infant through School-Age
Licensed capacity: 196 children
OCCL license number: 843590
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. 2025: 1 facility injury. No facility deaths reported. 2024: 1 facility injury. 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)
- 16 violations cited on these visits
- 2 complaint investigations completed (Substantiated: 2)
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 19 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.
April 15, 2026 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 5 violations
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by April 29, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, April 28, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff member needs a complete release of employment history and a corresponding service letter.
Indoor Space
Regulation code 49U · Correct by April 29, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, April 28, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure floors and walls are cleanable and in good repair. Repair the floor in the main hallway. Repair the walls in four classrooms. Discontinue the use of the oil diffuser. An oil diffuser was observed in use in the one-year-old classroom. This was discussed and corrected when the oil diffuser was removed from the one-year-old classroom.
Toilet Facilities
Regulation code 51U · Correct by April 29, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, April 28, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure toilet rooms have an operable window or ventilation fan. The ventilation fan in the bathroom located in the preschool classroom was observed not working. Repair the fan.
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments
Regulation code 56U · Correct by April 17, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, April 16, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Obtain written parent permission before swaddling an infant. An infant was observed swaddled and no written parent permission was on file.
Infant and Toddler Care
Regulation code 77U · Correct by April 15, 2026 · Correction status: Completed, April 15, 2026 · How the correction was shown (as published): Facility Visit
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure children under three years old do not have access to plastic bags. Plastic bags were observed on the open diaper changing table shelves in children's reach in a classroom with two-year-olds. This was discussed and corrected when the plastic bags were removed from the children's reach.
April 8, 2025 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 6 violations
Staff Qualifications
Regulation code 24U · Correct by April 22, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, April 25, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure the Early Childhood Administrator has successfully completed 15-clock-hours of accepted training in infant and toddler development and curriculum and 15-clock-hours of accepted training in school-age care.
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by April 22, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, May 22, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are completed. One staff member needs two references. Two staff members need an adult health appraisal. One staff member needs one reference. One staff member needs CPR and first aid certifications.
Child Files
Regulation code 40U · Correct by April 22, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, April 25, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure child files are complete. Four children need blood lead test results.
Kitchen and Food Preparation
Regulation code 50U · Correct by April 22, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, April 14, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure the freezer is 0 degrees F or colder. The thermometer in the kitchen freezer read 20 degrees F. A second thermometer was placed in the freezer, it also read 20 degrees F.
Diapering and Soiled Clothing
Regulation code 61U · Correct by April 22, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, April 11, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
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).
Administration of Medication
Regulation code 63U · Correct by April 11, 2025 · Correction status: Completed, April 11, 2025 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
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).
April 18, 2024 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 4 violations
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by May 10, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, May 1, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1, 2, 3 and 4 need two documented attempts in obtaining a completed service letter. Submit proof of attempts to OCCL.
Children's Attendance
Regulation code 43U · Correct by April 18, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, April 18, 2024 · 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).
Kitchen and Food Preparation
Regulation code 50U · Correct by May 10, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, May 1, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
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).
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments
Regulation code 56U · Correct by May 10, 2024 · Correction status: Completed, May 1, 2024 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
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).
December 11, 2023 · Complaint Visit · 1 violation
Indoor Space
Regulation code 49U · Correct by December 15, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, December 19, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
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).
Older than 3 years (not counted in the summary above)
April 18, 2023 · Unannounced Full Compliance Review · 3 violations
Ratios, Group Size, and Supervision
Regulation code 27U · Correct by April 21, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, April 20, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
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).
Personnel Files
Regulation code 30U · Correct by May 2, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, May 2, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Ensure staff files are complete. 17 staff need to complete the Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals. Six staff need eligibility letters from the Criminal History Unit (CHU). Four staff need service letters. One staff needs a reference letter and adult health appraisal with TB results. One staff needs administration of medication training or certification. Two staff need employee declaration.
Indoor Space
Regulation code 49U · Correct by May 2, 2023 · Correction status: Completed, April 20, 2023 · How the correction was shown (as published): Document
Licensing specialist's notes (as published)
Discontinue the use of the air fresheners in all classrooms.
Complaint investigations
All 3 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 June 6, 2024 · Result: Substantiated
Type (as published): OCCL Standards Complaint
The state's summary (as published)
The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on May 9, 2024, regarding unqualified staff alone with children, positive behavior supports, accident/injury procedures, and not having developmentally appropriate materials. An investigation was conducted on May 13, 2024. The complaint is substantiated for unqualified staff alone with children because a staff member under 18 was alone on two days with children during nap time. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint for not using positive behavior supports, accident/injury procedures, and not having developmentally appropriate materials based on interviews and observations during the visit.
Completed January 17, 2024 · Result: Substantiated
Type (as published): OCCL Standards Complaint
The state's summary (as published)
The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on December 5, 2023, regarding positive behavior supports, not meeting children's needs, staff communication, child files, development plans, indoor space, developmentally appropriate materials, diaper changing, health exclusions, lesson plans, and teacher/child interactions. The complaint is substantiated for lesson plans not being current because three classrooms did not have a current lesson plan posted. The complaint is substantiated for use of air fresheners because the specialists observed air fresheners being used in classrooms. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint for not using positive behavior supports, not meeting children's needs, staff communication, incomplete child files, not doing development plans, indoor space requirements, not having developmentally appropriate materials, diaper changing, health exclusions, or teacher/child interactions based on observations during the visit, interviews conducted, and video footage reviewed.
Older than 3 years (not counted in the summary above)
Completed September 28, 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 Selbyville · 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.