Delaware records · Kent County · Dover
GROWING SPROUTS EARLY LEARNING CENTER LLC.
Licensed Child Care Center · Dover, Delaware
Records presented as of November 5, 2026The operation, as the state lists it
- License number
- 1479150
- Operation type
- Licensed Child Care Center
- Address
- 872 FOREST STREET, Dover, DE 19904
- Licensed capacity
- 58
- Ages served, as listed
- 6 weeks through 5 years.
- Hours, as listed
- 6:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- State programs listed
- Purchase of Care
The record in numbers
| Compliance visits | 5 |
| Complaint investigations | 8 |
| Citations recorded | 14 |
| Citations with correction completed, per the state | 14 |
| Citations with correction still pending, per the state | 0 |
| Record span | February 3, 2022 – July 7, 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 | 5 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2 | 3 |
Visits and investigations, newest first
5 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff are fingerprinted every five years. A staff member needs to be fingerprinted for the facility as her fingerprints expired July 6, 2026.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 14, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 14, 2026
Ensure child files are complete. One child needs an immunization record.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 9, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 21, 2026
Ensure walls are cleanable and in good repair. Repair the hole in the wall near the mirror shelf, the wall at the corner near the bathroom door, and the holes in the wall above the changing table in the toddler classroom. Repair the wall under the window near the nap cots in the three-year-old classroom. Repair the wall under the window near the emergency exit door in the infant classroom. Repair the base of the door frame at the front door. Ensure trash is covered. The trash can located in the preschool classroom bathroom was observed not covered.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 8, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 21, 2026
Ensure gates in the outdoor play area are self-closing and self-latching. The first gate was observed not to self-close every time it was opened. The second gate was observed locked. Ensure gates are not locked during the center s hours of operation. Replenish the fall zone material under all equipment that is designed for the children s feet to leave the ground and swings to ensure there is six inches of rubber mulch.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 10, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 21, 2026
Ensure nap equipment is safe and non-absorbent. Replace the several ripped nap mats in the preschool classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 10, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 21, 2026
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On March 31, 2026, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding accident/injury procedures. An investigation was conducted on April 15, 2026. There is no evidence to substantiate for accident/injury procedures because according to staff, the parent of Child #1 was notified immediately after staff assisted the child, an accident injury report was completed, and the report was signed by Parent #1. Additionally, LS #1 observed a copy of the signed accident/injury report.
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On July 11, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding not following child health exclusions, an insect infestation, and infant feeding violation. An investigation was conducted on July 16, 2025. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because staff denied the allegations and LS #1 did not see any signs of an insect infestation. Additionally, LS #1 observed insect glue traps that were left by Viking Pest Control.
2 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff member needs first aid certification. One staff member needs an adult health appraisal and TB results. One staff member needs an adult health appraisal.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 10, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 22, 2025
Purchase additional bottled water for an emergency supply to shelter-in-place for 24 hours.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 10, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 22, 2025
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On January 24, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding an allegation of improper discipline. An investigation was conducted on January 28-30, 2025. There is no evidence to substantiate for improper discipline because all staff interviewed denied the allegations and because there is no staff member employed at the center by the specific name provided by the Reporter.
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On December 19, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding staff communication, not following the complaint policies in the handbook, and not providing the owner's contact information. An investigation was conducted on January 9, 2025. There is no evidence to substantiate for staff communication, not following the complaint policies in the handbook, and not providing owner contact information because staff denied the allegations and provided documentation they have responded to Parent #1 s requests and questions.
1 regulation cited at this visit.
Ensure child files are complete. Child #12 needs up dated health appraisal and immunizations.
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 9, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due August 7, 2024
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On April 10, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper diapering changing, not using positive behavior supports, not following lesson plans, staff using cell phones, and screen time. An investigation was conducted on April 16, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint based on interviewed staff. Interviewed staff denied changing children in the classroom. Interviewed staff stated they do not threaten the children and they use redirection strategies. Interviewed staff stated they do not use their cell phones unless they cannot get Bright Wheel to work on the classroom tablets. Interviewed staff stated the children do not get screentime daily and when they do it is for educational purposes or a special event. In addition, staff were observed following the posted lesson plans.
3 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff-to-child ratios are maintained through qualified staff, early childhood interns are permitted to supervise children ages toddler through school-age. Two interns were observed supervising a group of seven infants. This was discussed and corrected when a qualified staff person entered the classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 26, 2023 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due July 26, 2023
Ensure windows used for ventilation have screens in good repair. The bathroom window in the one and two-year-old classroom, used for ventilation, does not have a screen.
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 2, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due August 9, 2023
Repair or remove the broken play equipment from the outdoor play area. Rake or replenish the mulch in the fall zone areas to ensure there is 9 inches of mulch in the fall zone areas.
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 2, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due August 9, 2023
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On February 26, 2023, the Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint regarding improper discipline, safe sleep, diapering, and staff not being truthful. An investigation was conducted on March 3, 2023. The complaint is substantiated for safe sleep because an infant was observed asleep in a bouncer with a blanket. The allegation of improper diapering procedures is substantiated because staff stated for naptime a child gets a pull-up put on in the classroom and the classroom does not have an area with all requirements for diapering. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation of improper discipline because all staff and children interviewed denied this and appropriate interactions were observed. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegation of staff not being truthful. When all staff were questioned, the answers were consistent and no additional information was gathered or observed. Additional concerns were one child in the Pre-K classroom was not signed in on the attendance record and an infant was observed in a bouncer seat with a bottle instead of being held or placed in a feeding chair.
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 January 30, 2023, regarding unqualified staff, lack of supervision, and notification of a communicable disease. An investigation was conducted on February 6, 2023. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for unqualified staff alone with children or lack of supervision because all staff denied children using the restroom unsupervised and denied staff under 18-years-old supervising children. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for notification of a communicable disease because staff stated other classrooms and staff were not exposed to COVID-19, and the administrator provided the notification to parents of the children in the preschool classroom who were potentially exposed to COVID-19.
3 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff needs an application and administration of medication training.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 28, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due August 5, 2022
Ensure child files are complete. One child needs lead screening results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 30, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due August 5, 2022
Replenish resilient material on playground in the fall zones.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 30, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due August 5, 2022
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
OCCL received a complaint on January 26, 2022. An investigation was conducted on January 26, 2022, regarding improper discipline. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because all staff interviewed denied the allegations, stated they do not have concerns with their coworkers interactions with children, and video footage was unavailable for the date of the incident due to a dead battery.
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