Delaware records · Sussex County · Selbyville
THE NEXT STEP LEARNING CENTER, INC.
Licensed Child Care Center · Selbyville, Delaware
Records presented as of November 5, 2026The operation, as the state lists it
- License number
- 843590
- Operation type
- Licensed Child Care Center
- Address
- 2 E CHURCH ST, Selbyville, DE 19975
- Licensed capacity
- 196
- Ages served, as listed
- 6 weeks through 12 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 | 3 |
| Citations recorded | 19 |
| Citations with correction completed, per the state | 19 |
| Citations with correction still pending, per the state | 0 |
| Record span | September 28, 2022 – April 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 | 1 | 5 |
| 2025 | 1 | 6 |
| 2024 | 3 | 4 |
| 2023 | 2 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 |
Visits and investigations, newest first
5 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff member needs a complete release of employment history and a corresponding service letter.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 28, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 29, 2026
Ensure floors and walls are cleanable and in good repair. Repair the floor in the main hallway. Repair the walls in four classrooms. Discontinue the use of the oil diffuser. An oil diffuser was observed in use in the one-year-old classroom. This was discussed and corrected when the oil diffuser was removed from the one-year-old classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 28, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 29, 2026
Ensure toilet rooms have an operable window or ventilation fan. The ventilation fan in the bathroom located in the preschool classroom was observed not working. Repair the fan.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 28, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 29, 2026
Obtain written parent permission before swaddling an infant. An infant was observed swaddled and no written parent permission was on file.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 16, 2026 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 17, 2026
Ensure children under three years old do not have access to plastic bags. Plastic bags were observed on the open diaper changing table shelves in children's reach in a classroom with two-year-olds. This was discussed and corrected when the plastic bags were removed from the children's reach.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 15, 2026 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due April 15, 2026
6 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure the Early Childhood Administrator has successfully completed 15-clock-hours of accepted training in infant and toddler development and curriculum and 15-clock-hours of accepted training in school-age care.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 25, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 22, 2025
Ensure staff files are completed. One staff member needs two references. Two staff members need an adult health appraisal. One staff member needs one reference. One staff member needs CPR and first aid certifications.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 22, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 22, 2025
Ensure child files are complete. Four children need blood lead test results.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 25, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 22, 2025
Ensure the freezer is 0 degrees F or colder. The thermometer in the kitchen freezer read 20 degrees F. A second thermometer was placed in the freezer, it also read 20 degrees F.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 14, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 22, 2025
Ensure a non-porous surface is used for diaper-changes. The diaper-changing mat in the Busy Bees classroom is ripped and needs to be replaced.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 11, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 22, 2025
Ensure Medication Administration Records (MAR) are complete and signed by the parent/guardian. MAR's were observed for diaper cream for multiple children in the Busy Bee's classroom; however, the MAR's were not signed by the children's parent/guardians.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 11, 2025 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 11, 2025
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 May 9, 2024, regarding unqualified staff alone with children, positive behavior supports, accident/injury procedures, and not having developmentally appropriate materials. An investigation was conducted on May 13, 2024. The complaint is substantiated for unqualified staff alone with children because a staff member under 18 was alone on two days with children during nap time. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint for not using positive behavior supports, accident/injury procedures, and not having developmentally appropriate materials based on interviews and observations during the visit.
4 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1, 2, 3 and 4 need two documented attempts in obtaining a completed service letter. Submit proof of attempts to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 1, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due May 10, 2024
Ensure attendance record includes exact arrival and departure times. Classrooms First Steps and Little Sprouts were combined. There 12 children present but only 11 children were signed in. Staff corrected it immediately.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 18, 2024 · how corrected: Facility Visit · correction was due April 18, 2024
Ensure refrigerators are 41 degree or colder and freezers are 0 degrees or colder. The refrigerator in the kitchen read 45 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer read 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Please send a picture of correct temps. The refrigerator in the Beautiful Beginnings infant room read 48 degrees and the freezer read 20 degrees. Please send pictures of corrected temperature readings to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 1, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due May 10, 2024
Ensure crib mattress sheet is covered with tight fitting bottom sheet. The Lil' Cruisers classroom and Beautiful Beginnings classroom crib sheets were not tight fitting. Please send a picture of the correction to OCCL.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 1, 2024 · how corrected: Document · correction was due May 10, 2024
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 December 5, 2023, regarding positive behavior supports, not meeting children s needs, staff communication, child files, development plans, indoor space, developmentally appropriate materials, diaper changing, health exclusions, lesson plans, and teacher/child interactions. The complaint is substantiated for lesson plans not being current because three classrooms did not have a current lesson plan posted. The complaint is substantiated for use of air fresheners because the specialists observed air fresheners being used in classrooms. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint for not using positive behavior supports, not meeting children s needs, staff communication, incomplete child files, not doing development plans, indoor space requirements, not having developmentally appropriate materials, diaper changing, health exclusions, or teacher/child interactions based on observations during the visit, interviews conducted, and video footage reviewed.
1 regulation cited at this visit.
Ensure the use of air fresheners is prohibited. The facility had 5 classrooms with air fresheners. Remove air fresheners and send OCCL verification that they are no longer in use. Ensure the facility has enough lighting to supervise children. LS observed a crib being occupied and a child could not be observed in the crib asleep. This was corrected when a night light was observed in the area and out of reach. Ensure trash is stored securely. LS observed trash accessible in the Discovery Classroom. This was corrected when the trash was placed in a receptical. Ensure weekly lesson plans are updated and posted. 3 classrooms needed a current weeks plan posted. This was corrected when updated lesson plans were posted in the Little Sprouts classroom, Discovery classroom, and Beautiful Beginnings classroom. The use of air fresheners is prohibited. The facility had five classrooms with air fresheners. Remove air fresheners and send OCCL verification they are no longer in use.
Correction status: Completed · corrected December 19, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due December 15, 2023
3 regulations cited at this visit.
Ensure infants/toddlers are cared for in a separate area from the older children. This specialist observed 16 children, ages two through five, in the Discovery Preschool classroom. Two of the children were two year olds. According to staff three two-year-old children are enrolled in the classroom. Send confirmation to OCCL once the children have been removed from the older child classroom.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 20, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due April 21, 2023
Ensure staff files are complete. 17 staff need to complete the Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals. Six staff need eligibility letters from the Criminal History Unit (CHU). Four staff need service letters. One staff needs a reference letter and adult health appraisal with TB results. One staff needs administration of medication training or certification. Two staff need employee declaration.
Correction status: Completed · corrected May 2, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due May 2, 2023
Discontinue the use of the air fresheners in all classrooms.
Correction status: Completed · corrected April 20, 2023 · how corrected: Document · correction was due May 2, 2023
A complaint investigation. The state's result is shown above, and the investigator's conclusion follows.
OCCL received a complaint on September 15, 2022, regarding not notifying OCCL of an air conditioner failure, not maintaining proper room temperature, improper staff-to-child ratios, and using an unapproved building. An investigation was conducted on September 20, 2022. The complaint is substantiated because Administrator Hassler stated the air conditioner in the upstairs of the center was not working properly; however, OCCL was not notified of the equipment breakdown. Administrator Hassler stated 19 four and five-year-old children were taken to an unapproved building on Thursday, September 15, 2022, and the morning of Friday, September 16, 2022. According to the reviewed attendance records, there were multiple times staff-to-child ratios were not maintained and on one occasion maximum group size was exceeded. A concern noted was staff and children s attendance records were incomplete because there were several times staff and children were not signed out on the reviewed attendance records.
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