Daycare Licensing in Delaware: Violations, Inspections & License Lookup
How child care licensing works in Delaware: who regulates it, the rules providers answer to, how often they are inspected, and the exact steps to look up a daycare's violations and verify its license. Sourced from Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing.
Last verified 2026-08-03
How do I look up daycare violations in Delaware?
- Open the OCCL Search for Licensed Child Care page at education.delaware.gov.
- Search the table by facility name, city, county, or ZIP.
- Open the facility to view its five-year record of non-compliances, substantiated complaints, and complaints with concerns cited.
- Check whether the facility is flagged in red for a current enforcement action such as warning of probation or probation.
- For the full licensing history or details behind an action, contact OCCL to schedule a file review (New Castle County 302-892-5800, Kent and Sussex 302-739-5487).
State portal: Delaware child care search
How do I verify a Delawaredaycare's license?
- Open the OCCL Search for Licensed Child Care page.
- Search for the provider by name or location.
- Confirm the provider appears in the results, since only currently licensed providers are listed.
- Open the record to review the license type, status, and program details.
State portal: Delaware license search
Who regulates daycares in Delaware?
Child care licensing in Delaware is administered by the Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing, under 9 DE Admin. Code (DELACARE). It licenses providers, inspects them, and records the violations found.
How often are Delaware daycares inspected?
Delaware's Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) inspects every licensed program at least once a year through an unannounced compliance review. Each facility is also visited before a license is issued and on an as-needed basis. Extra visits are triggered by complaints and by ongoing monitoring of programs placed on an enforcement action. The same annual schedule covers family child care homes, large family child care homes, and centers.
Delaware rates violations by severity. Worst first:
- Serious non-compliance
- Other
What our Delawaredata covers, and what it doesn't
We track Delaware's licensed providers from the state's public records: license number, status, and capacity. For a provider's full inspection and violation history, follow the steps above at the state's own source.
| Delaware child care data | On record |
|---|---|
| Licensed providers tracked | 1,250 |
| Independently scorable (Confidence Index) | Not yet scorable |
| Inspection history on this site | Roster only, use state source |
Delaware daycare licensing: common questions
- How do I look up daycare violations in Delaware?
- Use the Office of Child Care Licensing Search for Licensed Child Care tool on the Delaware Department of Education website. Each facility record shows five years of non-compliances, substantiated complaints, and complaints with concerns cited. A facility on a current enforcement action is flagged in red. For records older than five years or the full file, you can request a file review from OCCL.
- How often does Delaware inspect licensed daycares?
- OCCL inspects every licensed program at least once a year with an unannounced compliance review. Programs are also visited before licensing and whenever a complaint or monitoring need arises. The annual review applies to family child care homes, large family child care homes, and centers.
- How do I verify a Delaware daycare's license?
- Search the provider in the OCCL Search for Licensed Child Care tool. Only currently licensed providers appear in the results, so a listing confirms an active license. The record shows the license type and program information.
- Who regulates child care in Delaware?
- The Office of Child Care Licensing regulates child care in Delaware. OCCL moved to the Delaware Department of Education on July 1, 2020, under Senate Bill 187. It enforces the DELACARE regulations in 9 DE Admin. Code.
This page republishes the public licensing record and labels every absent field plainly. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.