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TheVardellReport
The Next Step Learning Center, Inc.
Child care center
2 E Church St
Selbyville, DE 19975
Report
← The Next Step Learning Center, Inc., free profile
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The Vardell Report.The Next Step Learning Center, Inc.
The deeper story, beautifully organized. Available records, historical context, and questions worth asking.
- Provider Category
- Childcare
- Location
- Selbyville, DE
- Record Period
- 2022–2026
- Source Documents
- 9
This report is free. Vardell does not certify, grade or endorse; it shows what the record documents.
The Essentials
Summary
Across 8 licensing visits from September 2022 to April 2026, OCCL cited 19 regulations at The Next Step Learning Center, Inc.; 19 have a recorded correction.
- Visits
- 8
- 2022–2026, compliance reviews and complaint investigations
- Citations
- 19
- Regulations cited by OCCL licensing staff
- Corrected
- 19
- Of 19 citations, with a recorded correction date
- Complaint investigations
- 4
- Investigations of a complaint, with their results in the report
Citations by Year
- Citations
* Partial year, through November 1, 2026.
| Year | Visits | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 | 6 |
| 2026 | 1 | 5 |
What the Record Shows
- 19 of 19 citations have a recorded correction date.
- OCCL’s files list no enforcement action in this window.
- 4 visits in this window included a complaint investigation. OCCL publishes each complaint investigation’s result, not what the complaint alleged.
- The latest full compliance review, April 15, 2026, recorded 5 citations.
Report at a Glance
- Facility
- The Next Step Learning Center, Inc.
- Address
- 2 E Church St, Selbyville, DE 19975
- License Number
- DE-843590
- License Type
- Child care center
- Licensed Capacity
- 196 children
- Ages Served
- 6 weeks through 12 years
- Hours
- 6:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
- Injuries Reported
- 2024: 1 facility injury. No facility deaths reported. 2025: 1 facility injury. No facility deaths reported.
- Record Window
- November 1, 2021 to November 1, 2026
Chronology
Inspection History
Every visit in the record window, newest first. A citation is a licensing regulation Delaware found was not met. OCCL publishes each complaint investigation’s result, not what the complaint alleged.
- 2026
Unannounced full compliance review
5 citations
- 30UPersonnel FilesCitedCorrected Apr 28, 2026
- 49UIndoor SpaceCitedCorrected Apr 28, 2026
- 51UToilet FacilitiesCitedCorrected Apr 28, 2026
- 56USleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep EnvironmentsCitedCorrected Apr 16, 2026
- 77UInfant and Toddler CareCitedCorrected Apr 15, 2026
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
- 2025
Unannounced full compliance review
6 citations
- 24UStaff QualificationsCitedCorrected Apr 25, 2025
- 30UPersonnel FilesCitedCorrected May 22, 2025
- 40UChild FilesCitedCorrected Apr 25, 2025
- 50UKitchen and Food PreparationCitedCorrected Apr 14, 2025
- 61UDiapering and Soiled ClothingCitedCorrected Apr 11, 2025
- 63UAdministration of MedicationCitedCorrected Apr 11, 2025
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
- 2024
Complaint investigation
No citations
Dated the day the investigation was completed; result: Substantiated.
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
- 2024
Unannounced full compliance review
4 citations
- 30UPersonnel FilesCitedCorrected May 1, 2024
- 43UChildren's AttendanceCitedCorrected Apr 18, 2024
- 50UKitchen and Food PreparationCitedCorrected May 1, 2024
- 56USleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep EnvironmentsCitedCorrected May 1, 2024
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
- 2024
Complaint investigation
No citations
Dated the day the investigation was completed; result: Substantiated.
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
- 2023
Complaint visit
1 citation
- 49UIndoor SpaceCitedCorrected Dec 19, 2023
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
- 2023
Unannounced full compliance review
3 citations
- 27URatios, Group Size, and SupervisionCitedCorrected Apr 20, 2023
- 30UPersonnel FilesCitedCorrected May 2, 2023
- 49UIndoor SpaceCitedCorrected Apr 20, 2023
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
- 2022
Complaint investigation
No citations
Dated the day the investigation was completed; result: Substantiated.
Source: Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)
Delaware’s Office of Child Care Licensing publishes each regulation it cites, not a risk level for it.
Context
Patterns Worth Examining
A repeated citation can merit attention, but context and corrective action must be reviewed before drawing a conclusion.
- 1
Personnel Files, Cited in Four Visits
OCCL licensing staff cited 30U in April 2023, April 2024, April 2025 and April 2026. The agency describes it this way: Personnel Files. Delaware does not publish a risk level for each citation. Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
222323242424252630U across all 8 visits, oldest to newest - 2
Indoor Space, Cited in Three Visits
OCCL licensing staff cited 49U in April 2023, December 2023 and April 2026. The agency describes it this way: Indoor Space. Delaware does not publish a risk level for each citation. Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
222323242424252649U across all 8 visits, oldest to newest - 3
Kitchen and Food Preparation, Cited in Two Visits
OCCL licensing staff cited 50U in April 2024 and April 2025. The agency describes it this way: Kitchen and Food Preparation. Delaware does not publish a risk level for each citation. Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
222323242424252650U across all 8 visits, oldest to newest - 4
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments, Cited in Two Visits
OCCL licensing staff cited 56U in April 2024 and April 2026. The agency describes it this way: Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments. Delaware does not publish a risk level for each citation. Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
222323242424252656U across all 8 visits, oldest to newest
For Your Next Visit
Questions to Ask on Your Visit
Bring these to the tour. Each one comes from something in the record; the reason is under the question.
- 01
What changed after 30U was cited, and how do you check it now?
Personnel Files: cited in four visits, with no risk level published.
- 02
What changed after 49U was cited, and how do you check it now?
Indoor Space: cited in three visits, with no risk level published.
- 03
What changed after 50U was cited, and how do you check it now?
Kitchen and Food Preparation: cited in two visits, with no risk level published.
- 04
What changed after 56U was cited, and how do you check it now?
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments: cited in two visits, with no risk level published.
- 05
What is the ratio in the room my child would join, and how is every child accounted for at nap time, pickup and on the playground?
Ratios change through the day, so they are worth counting yourself on a visit.
- 06
Has the center ever been on probation or had its license suspended, and what changed afterward?
OCCL’s files list no enforcement action in this window.
The Evidence
Sources and Coverage
Program details, the regulations cited at compliance reviews and the results of complaint investigations are published by Delaware's Office of Child Care Licensing in its daily files on data.delaware.gov.
- Child care providers (data.delaware.gov)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing · 843590
Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Sep 28, 2022 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Apr 18, 2023 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Dec 11, 2023 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Jan 17, 2024 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Apr 18, 2024 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Jun 6, 2024 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Apr 8, 2025 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Compliance review or investigation (data.delaware.gov: wb83-pkcv and pnbd-85r6)View Dataset ↗
Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Visit Apr 15, 2026 · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Coverage
Record windowNovember 1, 2021 – November 1, 2026
- This record is OCCL's list of licensed providers as of November 2026, with the compliance reviews and investigations in OCCL's files, which run from November 2021.
- OCCL's compliance-review file lists only visits at which it cited a regulation; a visit with nothing cited is not in it, so a program may have had more visits than this record shows.
- OCCL's notes on each citation and its written conclusion for each investigation are left out because they can describe children and staff; the regulation cited, the correction date and each investigation's result are kept.
- Special conditions OCCL records on a license (a variance, or that a home is also a foster home) are left out, and license-exempt care is not in OCCL's list.
What This Report Cannot Tell You
- Visits with nothing cited
- OCCL's compliance-review file lists only visits at which a regulation was cited.
- Investigation conclusions
- Published by OCCL but left out of this record because they can describe children and staff.
- Severity of citations
- OCCL's files do not grade citations.
- Staff qualifications and turnover
- Not part of the published licensing record.
Historical coverage varies by agency and location. Missing records do not mean that no complaint or violation occurred.
Data architecture: Cierto supplies the source-backed machine-readable bundle. Life by Vardell independently creates the narrative, design, and consumer report.