Delaware records · Kent County · Milford
SMART START LEARNING CENTER LLC
Licensed Child Care Center · Milford, Delaware
Records presented as of November 5, 2026The operation, as the state lists it
- License number
- 1494516
- Operation type
- Licensed Child Care Center
- Address
- 350 MILFORD HARRINGTON HWY, Milford, DE 19963
- Licensed capacity
- 46
- Ages served, as listed
- 6 weeks through Kindergarten.
- Hours, as listed
- 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- State programs listed
- Child Care Food Program;Purchase of Care
The record in numbers
| Compliance visits | 8 |
| Complaint investigations | 3 |
| Citations recorded | 33 |
| Citations with correction completed, per the state | 33 |
| Citations with correction still pending, per the state | 0 |
| Record span | March 9, 2022 – November 21, 2025 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 | 6 |
| 2023 | 4 | 10 |
| 2022 | 3 | 11 |
Visits and investigations, newest first
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
The Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint on October 13, 2025, regarding a lack of supervision, staff attendance, and not providing truthful information. An investigation began on October 16, 2025, and concluded on October 23, 2025. This complaint is substantiated for lack of supervision because an incident report signed by the child s guardian and a staff discipline record stated on September 14, 2025, a child was left alone in the outdoor play area for five minutes. Also, according to attendance records, on September 18, 2025, from 7:05 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. up to five children, infant to one-year-olds, were signed into the infant Caterpillar classroom, but no staff were signed in. The allegation of inaccurate or incomplete staff attendance is substantiated because the attendance for the week of September 15, 2025, reflected that staff had not signed out of the daily attendance record for the classrooms five times. The allegation of not providing truthful information is substantiated because during the week of September 15, 2025, staff were signed in on the classroom daily attendance record when their staff time cards reflect that they were not present and working at that specific time on six occasions. Additional concerns noted during the visit were improper staff-to-child ratio, exceeding maximum group size, unqualified staff alone with children, staff without a comprehensive background check completed were on site, and child attendance records.
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are completed. Staff #1 needs four reference letters, Staff #2 needs OCCL health and safety training, Staff #3 needs CHU eligibility determine letter.
Correction status: Completed · corrected February 23, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 10, 2025
Ensure child files are completed. Child #4 and Child #7 needs blood lead test result
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 4, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 10, 2025
Ensure children's belonging are not touching in the preschool classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 4, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 10, 2025
Purchase and place fall zone on the Mary-go round.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 4, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 10, 2025
2 regulations cited at this visit.
Toys or objects attached to cribs, pack-and-plays, or playpens are prohibited. Two infants were in their own pack-n-play with a boppy on the railing. One infant also had a blanket on the rail of the pack-n-play. Three one-year-old children were asleep on their cots that were less than 18 inches apart.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 23, 2025 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due October 23, 2025
An infant must be held for bottle-feeding. One infant was in a pack-n-play with a bottle, self-feeding, lying down.
Correction status: Completed · corrected October 23, 2025 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due October 23, 2025
6 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure all children in care a supervised at all times and toddlers and Pre K are mixed after the 90 mins in the morning.. Upon entering the center a child was observed alone in the office and a 5 year -old d was observed in the 2 year-old classroom. This was corrected when both children returned to the PreK classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 13, 2024 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due November 13, 2024
Complete file is needed for three staff members. Staff #1 and Staff #2 needs OCCL health and safety training. Staff #3 needs a DEED certification.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 2, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 2, 2024
Complete file is needed Child #1. Child #1 needs a blood lead test results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 2, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 2, 2024
Repair or replace the gate for the outdoor play area to ensure self latching.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 2, 2024 · how corrected: Document
Provide a monthly infant feeding schedule for each infant in care.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 2, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 2, 2024
Provide a weekly opportunities for special activities and social emotional on the lesson plan.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 2, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 2, 2024
9 regulations cited at this visit.
A staff member was observed grabbing and yanking a one year old by the arm because she was sitting up as the staff would like her to. Administrator Akins was informed who provided disciplinary action against the staff member.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 21, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 6, 2023
Complete files are needed for the following staff members: Staff #1 needs annual training hours, professional development plan, OCCL Health and safety training and an adult health appraisal with TB. Staff #2 needs OCCL health and safety training, Staff #3 needs professional development plan, Staff #4 needs annual training hours, Staff #5 needs a complete file.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 21, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 22, 2023
Ensure staff members document exact time and whereabouts when working with children. STaff #5 was in the Dragonfly classroom but did not sign in ont he attendance record. Provide attendance record for the Dragonfly classroomf rom 11-7-2023 to 11-14-2023.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 14, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 22, 2023
Provide feeding schedule for Child #6
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 21, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 22, 2023
Ensure to document children in care arrival and departure times while in care. Three children were not sign in the Dragonfly classroom. Provide attendance for the classroom from 11-7-2023 to 11-14-2023.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 14, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 22, 2023
A staff member was observed washing her hands in the basin sink and mop bucket was observed by the hand-washing sink with left over food in the sink. (This was corrected when staff agreed to wash hand in the hand-washing sink and mop backets were placed in the cleaning supply room.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 7, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 6, 2023
Ensure the outdoor fence is self closing. Repair or replace the self closing mechanism.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 21, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 22, 2023
Follow the MAR procedure for all medication, update all MAR documents and return all unused meds.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 21, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 22, 2023
Add a cooking or healthy habit to all lesson plans for classroom over 24 months. Post all lesson plan in each classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 21, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 22, 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 August 17, 2023, regarding not following the termination policies in the parent handbook and improper staff communication. An investigation was conducted on August 22, 2023. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint for not following the termination policy in the parent handbook because the terminate policy states, If Smart Start is unable to meet the needs of the child/parents, the center reserves the right to terminate enrollment immediately and Owner Akins stated the child s care was terminated due to the parent s behavior. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint for improper staff communication because Owner Akins denied the allegation that her husband made an inappropriate statement.
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 May 12, 2023, regarding improper staff-to-child ratio, not understanding the children s needs, and not following the schedule. An investigation was conducted on May 16, 2023. This complaint is substantiated for improper staff-to-child ratio and not following the schedule. An intern was observed alone with five children, age infant through one year old. Schedules were not posted in three classrooms. There is no evidence to substantiate for staff not understanding the children s needs as all staff denied leaving children s faces and noses dirty. A concern noted was lack of supervision because a child was observed asleep on his cot in the Bumblebees classroom and there was not a staff member present in the classroom. Another concern noted was staff and child attendance were being documented through Procare and a report was unable to be printed to show staff-to-child ratio being maintained. It was also discovered staff were not documenting the exact hours they worked in each classroom through the system. Additionally, two children were not signed into the Dragonflies classroom when the Bumblebees and Dragonflies classrooms combined for nap time.
1 regulation cited at this visit.
Ensure staff-to-child ratios are maintained at all times. An aide was observed alone with six children, ages one through two during nap time. This was corrected when a qualified ECT returned from her lunch break and entered the classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 23, 2023 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due May 23, 2023
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Five staff members need CPR and first aid certification. One staff member needs administration of medication training/certification. Two staff members need a professional development plan. One staff member needs orientation. One staff member needs one reference. One staff member needs employee declaration and drug/alcohol statement. One staff member needs an adult health appraisal with TB results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 13, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 16, 2022
Ensure child files are complete. Twelve children need a development plan. One child needs medication permission for Cortizone 10 cream. One child needs a health appraisal, immunization record, and blood lead screening results. Two children need blood lead screening results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 13, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 16, 2022
Ensure fall zones are protected. Two slides were observed on a grass surface without a fall zone material. Remove the slides or purchase fall zone material.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 18, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due November 16, 2022
Ensure medication is stored securely. Three tubes of diaper cream were observed in an unlocked drawer in the bathroom. This was discussed and corrected when the tubes of diaper cream were moved out of the children's reach.
Correction status: Completed · corrected November 2, 2022 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due November 16, 2022
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff member needs an adult abuse registry check completed. Four staff members need a professional development plan.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 24, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 1, 2022
Ensure child files are complete. Two children need a health appraisal, immunization record, and blood lead test results. One child needs transportation permission. One child needs blood lead test results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected June 11, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 1, 2022
Ensure all nap equipment is labeled with child's name. The pack-n-plays in the Caterpillar (infant) classroom are not labeled.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 24, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 1, 2022
Ensure lesson plans are posted or available for review. The lesson plan in the Ladybug classroom was not available or posted.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 24, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 1, 2022
3 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Three staff need service letters. One staff needs one reference letter. One staff need an adult health appraisal. One staff needs orientation.
Correction status: Completed · corrected March 31, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due March 23, 2022
Ensure child files are complete. Three children need a health appraisal. Two children need immunization records. Three children need blood lead test results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected March 31, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due March 23, 2022
Ensure Medication Administration Records are completed prior to administering or applying medication to a child. Four children need a completed MAR for diaper cream and petroleum jelly.
Correction status: Completed · corrected March 31, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due March 23, 2022
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