The Learning Tree Children's Academy
Daycare center in Dover, DE. 403 West Lockerman Street, Dover, DE 19904
About the program
The Learning Tree Children's Academy is a licensed daycare center in Dover, Delaware. It is licensed for 40 children and serves infant, toddler, preschool and school age ages.
The Learning Tree Children's Academy is a child care facility located in Dover, Delaware.
It accepts child care subsidy.
Tuition and capacity
Tuition: not listed. The Learning Tree Children's Academy does not publish a fee schedule on its website. Programs in the area that publish full-time tuition have a median starting price of $607 a month.
Licensing and safety
Open the state record →Most violations are record-keeping, training or maintenance items, and nearly every program has some. Read what each one was and how fast it was fixed. Delaware records each regulation found out of compliance at a review, with the corrective action required and the date it was corrected. The state does not assign a risk level.
Ratios, Group Size, and Supervision (regulation 27U)
Ensure maximum group size is not exceeded and supervision of children is provided by assigned staff person. LS Brey observed a child exiting the older preschool classroom unsupervised, crossing through the younger preschool classroom, and entering the bathroom in the one and two-year-old classroom. The one and two-year-old classroom was at maximum group size of 12. Retrain staff on proper supervision and maximum group size.
General Qualifications (regulation 28U)
Ensure staff are fingerprinted and receive a comprehensive background check every five years. Complete fingerprinting for Staff #7.
Personnel Files (regulation 30U)
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff needs an eligibility letter. Five staff need an updated PD plan, One staff needs CPR/FA, PD plan, two documented attempts to obtain service letters, and references. One staff person needs CPR/FA and signed PD plan. One staff needs references.
Child Files (regulation 40U)
Ensure child files are complete. Four children need updated infant monthly feeding statements. Three children need a blood lead level test result. Two children need a health appraisal, immunizations, and blood lead level test result.
Children's Attendance (regulation 43U)
Ensure each child's exact arrival and departure is documented. The arrival times for every child in the three-year-old classroom was not documented. This was corrected at the visit when the times were added.
Show all 48 violations on file
Indoor Space (regulation 49U)
Ensure walls are in good repair. Repair wall in the bathroom near the toilet. Ensure outlets are protected with safety covers. Add covers to exposed outlets in the older pre-k classroom. Ensure air fresheners are not used. An aerosol air freshener was observed in the three-year-old classroom. Remove air freshener.
Kitchen and Food Preparation (regulation 50U)
Ensure a working thermometer is in the kitchen's freezer and refrigerator. Add a thermometer to the large freezer. Ensure refrigerators and freezers maintain an appropriate temperature. Adjust temperatures.
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments (regulation 56U)
Ensure rest equipment is labeled with the child's name, including infant cribs. Label cribs.
Diapering and Soiled Clothing (regulation 61U)
Ensure diaper pails are lined and foot-activated. Add liners to the infant classroom and one and two-year old classroom. Utilize diaper pail in the infant room for all diapering. Ensure diaper-changing procedure is posted. Post procedure in the one and two-year-old classroom.
Emergency Planning (regulation 66U)
Ensure at least one evacuation drill a year occurs during nap time. Conduct December's drill during nap.
Feeding of Infants (regulation 72U)
Ensure nothing is added to the infants'' bottles other than prepared formula or breastmilk. LS Brey observed cereal in an infant's bottle. Inform families a physician's note is required to serve cereal in bottles. Ensure infants' bottles are labeled with their name. Label bottles.
License Renewal (regulation 8U)
Ensure renewal application is submitted at least 60 days prior to license expiration. Submit application.
Personnel Files (regulation 30U)
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff needs a signed professional development plan and two references. One staff needs four references. One staff needs a signed professional development plan, to complete OCCL's Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals, one more attempt at obtaining a service letter, and two or four references depending on the service letter. Three staff need a signed professional development plan. One staff needs a staff orientation and adult health appraisal with TB screening. One staff needs to complete OCCL's Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals, and two references.
Staff Attendance (regulation 36U)
Ensure staff are accurately signing in and out of the classrooms. This was corrected at the visit when a staff person corrected her time.
Child Files (regulation 40U)
Ensure child files are complete. Two children need an updated monthly feeding statement. One child needs updated immunizations and blood lead level test result. One child needs a blood lead level test result. One child needs an updated health appraisal and blood lead level test result. One child needs hours and days of attending.
Children's Attendance (regulation 43U)
Ensure each child's exact arrival and departure are documented. One child was not signed into the one and two-year-old classroom and one child was not signed out of the four and five-year-old classroom. This was corrected at the visit when the attendance was updated in each classroom.
Indoor Space (regulation 49U)
Ensure air fresheners are not used in child care spaces. This Specialist observed an air freshener in the bathroom off the infant classroom.
Kitchen and Food Preparation (regulation 50U)
Ensure the refrigerator in the kitchen reads 41 degrees F or below. Ensure the refrigerator in the infant room and the top freezer in the kitchen have a thermometer and maintain proper temperatures.
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments (regulation 56U)
Ensure rest equipment is free of rips and non-absorbent. This Specialist observed a nap mat with a large rip in the four and five-year-old classroom. Ensure cribs in the infant room are at least 18 inches apart and labeled with the child's name.
Diapering and Soiled Clothing (regulation 61U)
Ensure diaper changing mats are non-absorbent. Replace mat in the one and two-year-old classroom.
Administration of Medication (regulation 63U)
Ensure medications are stored securely with the child's name and includes a proper Medication Administration Record (MAR). This Specialist observed several bottles of baby lotion, baby oils, and baby powders in the cabinet in the infant room. None of the bottles were labeled with a child's name, nor was there an MAR for them. Dispose of bottles or label them with the correct child's name and obtain written parent consent on a completed MAR.
Personnel Files (regulation 30U)
Ensure staff files are complete. Staff #1 and Staff #2 need to complete OCCL's Health and Safety Training for Child Care Professionals. Staff #1 needs to complete staff orientation, two attempts at Service Letters, Health Appraisal with TB Screening, and one more reference is no Service Letters are received. Staff #3 needs two attempts at Service Letters and two or four references based on the reponse from the Service Letters. Staff #5 needs two attempts at Service Letters and one more reference if Service Letters are not returned.
Parents Right to Know (regulation 38U)
Ensure any person touring the facility signs the Parents Right Know Log.
Child Files (regulation 40U)
Ensure child files are complete. Child #4 and #8 need blood lead level test results.
Children's Attendance (regulation 43U)
Ensure every child is signed into each classroom at the exact arrival time. This was corrected at the visit when staff signed the children in.
Indoor Space (regulation 49U)
Dispose of air fresheners in each classroom. This was corrected at the visit when all air fresheners were removed from the Center.
Outdoor Area (regulation 53U)
Ensure all fall zones have at least 9 inches of mulch under them.
Sanitation (regulation 58U)
Ensure soap and water is available. There was no soap and water available in the one and two-year-old classroom.
Administration of Medication (regulation 63U)
Ensure anything applied to children, other than soap and water, has a Medication Administration Record (MAR) completed for it. Ensure all medications are labeled and stored out of reach of children. LS Brey observed nose saline, orajel, and bug spray in the cubbies and accessible to children, in the one and two-year-old classroom.
First Aid Kits (regulation 65U)
Ensure the first aid kit has all required items available. Add an eye patch, pen, notepad or paper, plastic bag, and scissors to the first aid kit. This was corrected at the visit when these items were added.
Lesson Plans (regulation 74U)
Ensure lesson plans include physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and language/literacy activities daily. Lesson plans for ages two years and older must also include weekly opportunities in food/healthy habits, science, music, and sensory. Ensure all lesson plans are posted.
Activity Areas (regulation 75U)
Ensure activity areas include science and art materials that are accessible to children.
License Renewal (regulation 8U)
Ensure renewal application is submitted at least 60 days prior to license expiration.
Personnel Files (regulation 30U)
Ensure staff files are complete. One staff member needs CPR and first aid certification. Two staff members need administration of medication training or certification. Two staff members need a signed professional development plan. Three staff members need complete orientation records. One staff member needs eligibility determination. One staff needs an adult health appraisal with TB results. One staff member needs a service letter or two documented attempts and two additional references.
Child Files (regulation 40U)
Ensure child files are complete. Two children needs updated health appraisals with immunization records. Two children need blood lead screening results. One child needs a development plan. Two children need medication permission. Three children need updated infant feeding schedules.
Hazardous Materials (regulation 45U)
Ensure hazardous materials are stored inaccessible. Multiple cleaners were observed in an unlocked cabinet in the infant bathroom. Remove the cleaners or lock the cabinet.
Indoor Space (regulation 49U)
Ensure walls are cleanable and in good repair. The drywall and chipped paint need to be repaired in the one and two-year-old classroom, main bathroom, and the infant classroom. Ensure the carpet is in good repair. The carpet under the gate in the infant classroom needs to be repaired. The carpet on the wall next to the exit door in the infant classroom need to be repaired.
Outdoor Area (regulation 53U)
Replenish the mulch with nine inches of mulch in the fall zone areas in the outdoor play area. Remove the broken planter from under the window.
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments (regulation 56U)
Replace the ripped nap mats in the one and two-year-old classroom and the three and four-year-old classroom.
Emergency Planning (regulation 66U)
Purchase an emergency water supply.
Lesson Plans (regulation 74U)
Ensure lesson plans contain weekly opportunities for each special activity for 24 months and older. Add food/healthy habits, science, music, and sensory to the three and four-year-old classrooms lesson plan.
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments (regulation 56U)
Ensure safe sleep practices are used at all times. An infant was observed asleep in a car seat covered with a blanket. The car seat was placed in the infant's crib. The teacher in the infant classroom must complete the training titled Infant Safe Sleep Practices for Childcare Providers on DEPD Now by 10/26/2022.
General Qualifications (regulation 28U)
Ensure staff are fingerprinted within 5 days of their 18th birthday. A staff member turned 18 in May and was not fingerprinted.
Outdoor Area (regulation 53U)
Ensure fall zones are covered. A play structure was moved off the mulch fall zone area onto black top when a new larger structure was installed.
Sleeping Accommodations and Safe Sleep Environments (regulation 56U)
Ensure safe sleep practices are used. A seven-month-old was observed asleep and covered with a blanket in a crib. This was discussed with the staff and the blanket was removed.
Changes Affecting a License (regulation 9U)
Submit a revised plan review and receive approval before making additions or renovations to the outdoor play area. A new play structure was installed in the mulch area without OCCL approval. This was discussed and the administrator agreed to comply in the future.
Staff Attendance (regulation 36U)
Ensure staff attendance is accurate. Staff #1 and #2 was not signed in to the classrooms they were covering for lunch breaks. This was corrected when the staff signed in.
Ratios, Group Size, and Supervision (regulation 27U)
Ensure staff-to-child ratios are maintained with qualified staff. Upon arrival, two aides were observed alone with three infants while the qualified staff member was using the restroom. This was corrected at the visit when the qualified staff member entered the classroom.
What parents say
This Daycare is Amazing, my baby has gone for 3years straight. Love the remodel and upgrades, they incorporate a lot of education activities, as well as keep the kids busy. My baby loved going here, she’s preparing for school now, but I know she is going to miss them like crazy. The Staff is amazing and the go above and beyond for the students and I definitely recommend them. Thanks 🙏🏿 so much guys for taking good…
Cheryl Henry (Cass) · 5/5 on Google · 2 years agoThis is a good daycare. My kids attend here now but the daycare owner is very respectful, she’s Very understanding, and she’s nice! It’s a good place to take your kids. all of the staff are well mannered
Daeshana stevenson · 5/5 on Google · 2 years agoGetting there
403 West Lockerman Street, Dover, DE 19904
Questions about The Learning Tree Children's Academy
Is The Learning Tree Children's Academy licensed?
Yes. The Learning Tree Children's Academy holds an active Child Care Center licence from Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing (licence 817160), with a licensed capacity of 40 children. The state record was synced in September 2026.
Has The Learning Tree Children's Academy had any inspection violations?
Delaware records 33 violations for The Learning Tree Children's Academy in the last three years, across 8 inspections on file. The median daycare center in the area has 10. Each one is listed above with the date it was corrected.
What ages does The Learning Tree Children's Academy take?
The Learning Tree Children's Academy is licensed to serve infant, toddler, preschool and school age ages, and is open 7 am to 5:30 pm, Mon to Fri.
How much does The Learning Tree Children's Academy cost?
The Learning Tree Children's Academy does not publish tuition on its website. Ask for the full fee schedule on a tour, including registration, supply and late pick-up fees. The program accepts child care subsidy.
