Delaware records · Sussex County · Lincoln
FIRST STEPS PRESCHOOL, LLC
Licensed Child Care Center · Lincoln, Delaware
Records presented as of November 5, 2026The operation, as the state lists it
- License number
- 672760
- Operation type
- Licensed Child Care Center
- Address
- 10037 DUPONT BOULEVARD, Lincoln, DE 19960
- Licensed capacity
- 71
- 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 | 5 |
| Citations recorded | 17 |
| Citations with correction completed, per the state | 17 |
| Citations with correction still pending, per the state | 0 |
| Record span | April 25, 2022 – June 23, 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 | 1 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023 | 3 | 4 |
| 2022 | 3 | 4 |
Visits and investigations, newest first
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure child files are complete. One child needs blood lead screening, parents right to know notice, and screen time permission. One child needs a health appraisal land immunization record. One child needs an updated health appraisal.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 22, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 7, 2026
Ensure all sinks supply hot and cold water. The automatic sink in the school-age classroom and the automatic sink in the two-year-old classroom were observed to not supply hot water.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 22, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 7, 2026
Ensure each toilet room has at least one sink with running water. The sinks in the two bathrooms located in the hallway were turned off. The owner stated the sinks are turned off to discourage the children from playing in the water, to ensure proper handwashing, and to cut down on the time spent in the bathrooms. She stated handwashing occurs at the sink located in the school-age classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 22, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 7, 2026
Ensure fall zone material is under all climbing equipment designed for the children's feet to leave the ground. Move the little tikes slide from the grass area in the toddler outdoor play area to the mulch fall zone.
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 22, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 7, 2026
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 November 13, 2025, regarding the center not following their stated open-door policy, not following the termination policy, accident injury procedures, and not being respectful. An investigation was conducted on November 25, 2025. This complaint is substantiated for accident injury procedures and not following the open-door policy because a head injury occurred and the parent/guardian was not notified immediately, and parents/guardian are not permitted into the building at drop-off and pick-up as multiple parents were observed waiting outside until their children were brought to the door for pick up. There is no evidence to substantiate the allegations that staff are not respectful, and do not follow the center s termination policy based on staff interviews and the written parent handbook policies.
2 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs nine hour annual training hours, one in health and safety, medication certification and an annuall abuse and neglect review.
Correction status: Completed · corrected June 30, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 30, 2025
Child #2 needs blood lead test results. Child #9 needs an updated health appraisal.
Correction status: Completed · corrected June 30, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 30, 2025
3 regulations cited at this visit.
Staff #1 needs OCCL Health and Safety training, two reference letters and a health appraisal w/TB Staff #2 needs OCCL Health and Safety training and comprehensive background check Staff #3 needs one additional reference letter Staff #4 (not determined) needs 2 hours in health and safety training
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 15, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 18, 2024
Ensure child files are complete Child #1,5,7 and 13 need blood lead test results
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 15, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due June 18, 2024
Add mulch to the fall zones where the children's feet leave the ground
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 15, 2024 · how corrected: Document
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Eight staff members need to complete the Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals. One staff member needs a job description and two references. Two staff members need to be re-fingerprinted. One staff member needs an eligibility letter from CHU. One staff member needs an adult health appraisal with TB results. Three staff members need service letters.
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 3, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 6, 2023
Ensure child files are complete. One child needs a health appraisal, immunization record, and blood lead screening results. Two children need blood lead screening results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 3, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 6, 2023
Ensure each toilet room has at least one sink with warm running water. The sinks in the bathrooms were turned off. Owner Christina stated the sinks are off to discourage the children from playing in the water and to help cut down on the time the children spend in the bathroom. The children wash their hands at the sink outside the bathrooms. This was discussed and corrected when the sinks were turned on.
Correction status: Completed · corrected June 22, 2023 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due June 22, 2023
Replenish the mulch in all fall zone areas to ensure there is nine inches of mulch.
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 3, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 6, 2023
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
The Institutional Abuse Unit (IAU) received a complaint on February 27, 2023, and The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) accepted the complaint on March 3, 2023, regarding improper discipline. On March 8, 2023, IAU stated their investigation would be closed with no evidence to substantiate abuse because the accident occurred on video footage as the center described, and no staff were involved. The owner self-reported the accident on February 27, 2023. The allegation of improper discipline is unsubstantiated because video footage showed Child #1 running, she fell, and then could not get back up.
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
The state recorded no written conclusion for this investigation.
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
OCCL received a complaint on June 24, 2022, regarding staff being unprofessional and not understanding the family s needs by requiring them to pick up their child within eight minutes. An investigation was conducted on July 1, 2022. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint because all staff confirmed following the appropriate procedure for sending children home for an illness or injury, and all staff denied having any knowledge of the administrator or other staff being unprofessional to the parents. A concern noted was Staff #1 left her classroom unattended to open the door.
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 needs 1st aid/CPR training, orientation, a job description and a health appraisal to include b Staff #2 needs a health appraisal with TB Staff #4 needs a health appraisal with TB Staff #5 needs needs a health appraisal Staff #8 needs a job description and references along w a release of employment form and a service letter Staff #11 needs safe sleep and annual review of abuse and neglect
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 2, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 13, 2022
Add mulch to the fall zones in the large play yard
Correction status: Completed · corrected August 2, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 13, 2022
Update the feeding schedules for three infants
Correction status: Completed · corrected July 6, 2022 · how corrected: Document · correction was due July 13, 2022
Lesson plans must be dated. This was corrected at the visit.
Correction status: Completed · corrected June 9, 2022 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due June 9, 2022
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
On April 6, 2022, OCCL received a complaint regarding not releasing a child in accordance of custody arrangements, and unauthorized pick up of a child. An investigation by Licensing Specialists Donovan and Rasin-Benn began on April 11, 2022 and concluded April 12, 2022. This complaint is substantiated for unauthorized release of a child because the center allowed a child to be picked up by someone who was not listed on the emergency card or the HiMama app as an authorized release person, however verbal consent was given in the past. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for not following custody arrangements because a custody agreement was not provided to the center until after this complaint was investigated.
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