Delaware records · New Castle County · Middletown
MERCY LAND ACADEMY
Licensed Child Care Center · Middletown, Delaware
Records presented as of November 5, 2026The operation, as the state lists it
- License number
- 1127712
- Operation type
- Licensed Child Care Center
- Address
- 211 E MAIN ST, Middletown, DE 19709
- Licensed capacity
- 54
- Ages served, as listed
- 6 weeks through 12 years.
- Hours, as listed
- 6:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- State programs listed
- Child Care Food Program;Purchase of Care
The record in numbers
| Compliance visits | 5 |
| Complaint investigations | 6 |
| Citations recorded | 31 |
| Citations with correction completed, per the state | 31 |
| Citations with correction still pending, per the state | 0 |
| Record span | May 3, 2022 – October 15, 2026 |
How to read this record
A compliance visit is a licensing visit by an OCCL specialist. When the specialist finds a regulation has not been met, the visit record carries a citation: the regulation's code and short description, the specialist's corrective-action note describing what was found, and the correction record — the date correction was due, whether the state has marked it completed, the date it was corrected, and how. A complaint investigation begins with a complaint; its record carries the state's result and the investigator's written conclusion. Delaware does not grade citations by risk or severity, so no grade is shown — the specialist's note is the substance of the record. One visit can produce several citations. A citation the state later records as corrected stays in the history; that is what a licensing record is.
Record by year
| Year | Visits & investigations | Citations recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 10 |
| 2023 | 3 | 4 |
| 2022 | 4 | 10 |
Visits and investigations, newest first
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs their health and safety training, Staff #2 needs their health and safety training and eligibility letter, and Staff #3 needs 4 references and a returned service letter or 2 documented attempts.
Correction status: Completed · correction was due November 16, 2026
Ensure child files are complete. Submit blood lead screening results for Children #2 and 6 to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · correction was due November 16, 2026
Ensure all outdoor fall zones are covered near the slides. Send a picture of fall zones covered to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · correction was due November 16, 2026
Ensure the travel van has emergency numbers for the children. Send a picture of the van's emergency binder to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · correction was due November 16, 2026
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
OCCL s investigation of regulatory non-compliance began after clearance from other agencies was received. This case was closed on June 3, 2026. On November 25, 2025, OCCL received a complaint regarding allegations of improper behavior supports. A follow-up was conducted on June 12 and June 22, 2026, after clearance was received to begin OCCL s investigation. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint. Staff #1 and Staff #2 both denied, in writing, that Staff #1 ever hit, punched, physically disciplined, or otherwise physically harmed Child #1 or any other child in care. Staff #2, who served as Child #1 s primary classroom teacher, reported no incident of physical abuse or inappropriate physical contact involving Child #1 during the period in question. Staff #1 reported having limited contact with Child #1 due to Staff #1 s role as a floating teacher and stated he/she was never alone with Child #1 outside of nap-time coverage, during which another teacher was present. Administrator #1 reported conducting an internal review following the allegation and stated no evidence was found indicating Staff #1 engaged in the conduct alleged.
3 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Submit DEEDS certificate for Staff #4. Submit CPR/FA, Administration of Medication certificate, orientation form, 4 references, health appraisal, health and safety training, and a returned service letter or 2 documented attempts for Staff #6. Submit job description, release of employment history, 4 references, and their eligibility letter (OOS from Maryland) for Staff #7.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 20, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 14, 2025
Ensure staff sign in/out whenever they enter or leave a classroom. 1 staff member was night signed in, in the preschool room and one staff did not sign out. This was corrected at the visit.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 14, 2025 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due November 13, 2025
Submit Radon results to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 14, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 14, 2025
10 regulations cited at this visit.
Submit liability insurance.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 26, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1, 2, and 3 need updated CPR/FA certification. Staff #2 and 5 needs their administration of medication certification. Staff #3 needs 11 training hours. Staff #4 needs 9 training hours. Staff #5 needs a DEEDS certificate, CPR/FA, health and safety training, 4 references, release of employment history, and a returned service letter or 2 documented attempts at sending the letter.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 12, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Submit parents right to know log.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 7, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Ensure child files are complete. Child #1 needs an immunization record and blood lead screening results. Child #5 needs a full health appraisal with immunizations. Child #4 needs parents right to know, screen time, and mat permission signatures, and a blood lead screening result. Child #8 needs parents right to know, screen time, and mat permission signatures. Child #15 needs a full health appraisal with immunizations and blood lead results. Child #16 needs hours and days of attendance.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 22, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Ensure all trashcans are covered. The opening room, and girls bathroom do not have lids. Send a picture of cans with lids to OCCL. Place outlet covers in the school age room and send a picture to OCCL. Remove yellow cord in the one year old room.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 22, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Replace all diaper mats and send a picture to OCCL. (Received) All mats are torn. Place disposable covers at each station and send a picture to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 16, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Ensure the school-age room has a posted monthly calendar of activities. Send calendar for the month of October to OCCL. Ensure all lesson plans have 2 or more weekly food/healthy habits and science components. Send updated lesson plan for 1 week for all classrooms.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 22, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Ensure the school-age, Pre-K, opening room, and one year old room have sufficient materials. The school-age room does not have a construction/block, art, manipulatives, or dramatic play station. The Pre-K room does not have enough science or music materials. The opening room does not have a manipulatives, art, or dramatic play station, or science and music materials. The one year old room does not have a manipulatives, science, construction, or art station. No building block or materials. Send a picture of all rooms with the required (sufficient) materials to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 22, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Post daily schedule in the one year old room.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 16, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
Remove walker in the one year old room.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 22, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 15, 2024
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure all staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs to be re-fingerprinted and determined eligible. Staff #2 needs their professional development plan. Staff #3 needs their first aid certification, release of employment history, and a returned service letter or 2 documented attempts of sending the letter. Staff #4 needs updated CPR/First Aid certification and a professional development plan. Staff #5 needs their first aid certification, administration of medication, orientation form, health and safety training, signed and dated application, 4 references, health appraisal with TB results, release of employment and a returned service letter or 2 documented attempts. Staff #6 needs annual safe sleep and child abuse and neglect signatures, a professional development plan, and 1 hour in health/safety training.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 28, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 13, 2023
Ensure all child files are complete. Children #1, 2, and 5 need blood lead screening results. Children #3 and 4 need hours/days of attendance or date of enrollment. Child #8 needs their parents right to know, screen time, transportation, and mat signatures.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 14, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 13, 2023
Ensure all bathrooms have outlet covers. This was corrected at the visit.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 17, 2023 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due November 13, 2023
Ensure playground' is free of hazards. Replace turf and send a picture to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 31, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 13, 2023
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint on July 11, 2023, regarding lack of supervision, mixing of age groups, and a child file not being available for an enrolled child. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because Administrator Adeola Salako stated Child #1 had not received any injuries while in care except for an injury that occurred after OCCL received this report. Age groups were mixed in the facility, but due to the total number of children present, the facility met OCCL s requirements. Administrator Salako provided a copy of Child #1 s file at this visit. However, this file did not include all items required by OCCL. An additional concern noted at the visit was staff and child attendance records were not accurately documented. Attendance records for the week of July 17, 2023, to July 21, 2023, and on the day of this visit were viewed and showed staff are not consistently signing in or out of classrooms during transitions, on breaks, or at the end of their shifts. Three children were not signed out of the Infant/Toddler classroom or into the Preschool-age classroom during this visit. An additional concern noted at this visit was two children in the infant classroom were asleep in their pack-n-plays with blankets present. Another infant was asleep in a swing and was moved to a pack-n-play during this visit.
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On January 13, 2023, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper discipline. An investigation was conducted on January 25, 2023. This complaint is substantiated for improper discipline because the administrator stated when she met with the staff accused, the staff admitted to making the threat. The staff was immediately terminated from employment at the center.
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On October 21, 2022, a complaint was called into the Report Line and not accepted for investigation by the Institutional Abuse Unit. The Office of Child Care Licensing received the complaint on October 21, 2022, and accepted it for investigation regarding improper discipline. Based on interviews of staff and children and documentation collected, there is no evidence to substantiate this complaint. According to the attendance record on the bus, Administrator Corkery, not Administrator Salako, was the bus driver on the day of the incident and no other staff were documented as present. The three other children present on the bus denied seeing a staff member hit Child #1.
10 regulations cited at this visit.
Submit the following to complete staff files: CPR/First Aid for Staff #3 and 4 Health and safety training for Staff #3 (1 hour) Signed and dated professional development plans for Staff #1,3,5,7, and 8. Annual review of safe sleep and child abuse for Staff #3 Job description for Staff #7 and 8 Two references for Staff #1 and 1 reference for Staff #4 Adult abuse registry check for Staff #1 and 7 Eligibility letters for Staff #7 and 8 An adult health appraisal with TB results for Staff #4 Release of employment for Staff #1,2,4,6, and 7 Service letters with documented attempts for Staff #1,2,4,6, and 8.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 18, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 13, 2022
Submit the following to complete children's files: Complete developmental plans with goals for all children infants through pre-k (school age children do not need it) A signed parent infant feeding schedule Blood lead test results for Child #1,2,6,7,10, and 12, and a health appraisal for Child #9.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 28, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 13, 2022
Ensure children's attendance is documented upon arrival and departure. One child was not signed in, in the infant room. Children were not signed out in the Pre-K room, and one child was not signed in, in the Pre-K room. This was corrected at the visit. Send in one weeks attendance of all classrooms to OCCL. Documentation was submitted and the facility is still non-compliant.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 15, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due October 24, 2022
Ensure electrical outlets are covered. Cover all outlets in the infant room (near the computers), school-age room, pre-k room (above the television), and the girls bathroom. Send picture of covered outlets to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 14, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due October 14, 2022
Ensure the outdoor area is free from hazards, and all fall zones are protected. The outdoor playground is currently unsafe for children due to the outdoor carpet coming up. Ensure children are not using the playground until the carpet is fixed. Send a picture of updated playground to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 9, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 13, 2022
Ensure all nap items, cots are labeled. One pack-n-play in the infant room, and all nap cots in the pre-k room were not labeled. Label nap pack-n-plays and cots, and send to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 17, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due October 21, 2022
Ensure the diaper mat in the boy's bathroom is replaced. Send a picture of new diaper mat to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 14, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due October 21, 2022
Ensure infant bottles are labeled. One infant did not have a label on their bottle. Ensure the parent is completing the infant feeding schedule, along with the parents signature. A teacher signed and completed an infant feeding schedule. Send in labeled bottles and the infant feeding schedule completed by the parent to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 17, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due October 17, 2022
Ensure the lesson plans contain a science component. The lesson plan in the one-two's room did not include a science component. Send an updated lesson plan with a science component to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 17, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 13, 2022
Ensure there are enough activities for children. Place blocks, manipulatives, activities for children in the school-age room.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 27, 2022 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due November 13, 2022
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On April 7th and 18th, 2022, OCCL received two complaints regarding inappropriate discipline at Mercy Land Academy. There is no evidence to substantiate these complaints because no one witnessed the alleged incident, both staff members interviewed deny knowledge of any incidents, there is no video footage, and the child denies any negative encounters with any staff members. However, concerns were noted. Safe sleep violations were observed because one infant was asleep on a pillow on the floor, covered with a blanket. There were 6 six children (one an infant) with one qualified staff member and two who could not be left alone. This resulted in improper staff-to-child ratio anytime that a child needed to use the bathroom. A staff member was present and had not been fingerprinted.
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On April 7th and 18th, 2022, OCCL received two complaints regarding inappropriate discipline at Mercy Land Academy. There is no evidence to substantiate these complaints because no one witnessed the alleged incident, both staff members interviewed deny knowledge of any incidents, there is no video footage, and the child denies any negative encounters with any staff members. However, concerns were noted. Safe sleep violations were observed because one infant was asleep on a pillow on the floor, covered with a blanket. There were 6 six children (one an infant) with one qualified staff member and two who could not be left alone. This resulted in improper staff-to-child ratio anytime that a child needed to use the bathroom. A staff member was present and had not been fingerprinted.
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