Delaware records · New Castle County · Newark
ONE STEP AHEAD CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOL INC.
Licensed Child Care Center · Newark, Delaware
Records presented as of November 5, 2026The operation, as the state lists it
- License number
- 396672
- Operation type
- Licensed Child Care Center
- Address
- 432 SALEM CHURCH ROAD, Newark, DE 19702
- Licensed capacity
- 84
- Ages served, as listed
- 2 years through 12 years.
- 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 | 4 |
| Complaint investigations | 2 |
| Citations recorded | 13 |
| Citations with correction completed, per the state | 13 |
| Citations with correction still pending, per the state | 0 |
| Record span | May 19, 2022 – December 15, 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 | 1 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023 | 1 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 |
Visits and investigations, newest first
3 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1: 8.5 training hours (ND) Staff #2: 8.5 training hours (ND) Staff #3: 8.5 training hours (ND), annual review of abuse and neglect Staff #4: 15.5 training hours (ND) Staff #5: CPR/FA (ND), Administration of Medication, Health/Safety training, adult health appraisal with TB, 6 training hours (ND) Staff #6: Health/Safety training, 1 more reference Staff #7: CPR/FA (ND), 1 more reference All training hours are not determined and are due on 12/31/2025. CPR/FA is not determined for Staff #5 and 7 because the appointment was scheduled for 12/16/2025. CPR/FA cards will be sent once completed.
Correction status: Completed · corrected February 19, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 15, 2026
Ensure all outlets are covered. This was corrected at the visit.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 15, 2025 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due January 15, 2026
Submit renewal application by 12/31/2025.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 24, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 31, 2025
6 regulations cited at this visit.
Submit liability insurance to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected January 20, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 17, 2025
Ensure there is sufficient staffing to prepare meals, facilitate nap time, and transitions. Upon arrival, there were 2 teachers and 12 children. 3 toddlers with 1 teacher, and 9 preschoolers with the Administrator. There was no one to answer the door or answer phone calls. Send in a staffing plan that shows the days/times for all staff, identify who makes meals and what time, who is covering for nap, who is assigned to each classroom, etc. to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 20, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 20, 2024
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 and 2 need CPR/FA certification, and Staff #2 needs 2 documented attempts of sending their service letter.
Correction status: Completed · corrected January 16, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 17, 2025
Submit Radon results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected January 16, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 17, 2025
Remove Febreze plug-ins and spray in all bathrooms and send a picture to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected January 16, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 17, 2025
Repair sink handle in the 1st floor bathroom and send a video to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected January 16, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 17, 2025
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On January 4, 2024, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper discipline. A self-report of this allegation was received on January 8, 2024, and an unannounced visit was conducted to investigate this complaint on January 22, 2024. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint because all staff members denied witnessing or participating in improper discipline and denied witnessing Staff #1 or Staff #2 spank Child #1. The attendance records collected show Child #1 was not in Staff #1 s care during October, November, and December 2023. The camera footage observed showed no evidence of improper discipline.
2 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Submit Health and Safety training for Staff #2 and #4.
Correction status: Completed · corrected January 5, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 19, 2024
Ensure the three's bathroom and the Pre-K bathroom have trashcans with lids. Send a picture of covered trashcans to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 29, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 19, 2024
2 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs two hours in health and safety. Send student transcript to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 14, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 6, 2023
Ensure child files are complete. Child #2 needs a note from their parent stating their religious exemption. Ensure statement is notarized. Child #12 needs an updated health appraisal. Send forms to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 22, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due January 6, 2023
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On April 1, 2022, a complaint was called into the Child Abuse Report Line and originally accepted by the Institutional Abuse Unit, but later it was abridged on April 7, 2022. It was sent to the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) on April 4, 2022, and accepted for investigation for failure to report an accident or injury and disrespectful communication. An investigation began on April 14, 2022, and ended May 11, 2022. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for failure to report an accident or injury because the staff who were interviewed reported no mark or bruise was observed on the child throughout the day or when the child was picked up at the end of the day. The parent contacted the center over an hour after she departed to report a hickey on the child s forehead that was observed after she arrived home. The parent took the child to be evaluated at an urgent care facility. There is no way to say for certain where or when the injury occurred. There was no evidence to substantiate the allegation regarding unprofessional behavior by the staff member because the officer who watched the video stated the staff involved behaved professionally and attempted to diffuse the situation. A concern noted is that OCCL requested for the video footage from March 31, 2022, to be preserved, however it was not provided due to a technical issue with the recording system.
Something look wrong — a name, an address, a record that should not be public at this level of detail? Report it on the corrections page. Reports about the level of detail are acted on first: the record is paused while the report is reviewed.