Skip to content
Child care center 

Christopher Early Learning Center

4001 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 198022.0· 7 reviews
licensed capacity
49
open each week
5 days
a week, county median
$280

We are a directory, not the daycare. We cannot hold a spot, enroll a child or answer questions about care.

Own this daycare? Claim it
Licensed by the stateInspection record

About

About Christopher Early Learning Center

Christopher Early Learning Center is a licensed child care center in Wilmington, Delaware. It is licensed by the state, for up to 49 children, serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.

It is open Monday to Friday, 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing made 9 visits in the last 3 years and cited 8 rules across 6 of them. The visit list, in the state's words, is below.

InfantsSchool-ageAccepts child care subsidyOpens before 7 AM

Ages served: infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children

From the state license
Ask when you call: rates, current openings, staff-to-child ratio and teacher qualifications.
Type
Child care center
Ages
Infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children
Hours today
Closed today
Licensed capacity
49 children

Hours

Hours

Monday6:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Tuesday6:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Wednesday6:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Thursday6:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Friday6:30 AM to 5:30 PM
SaturdayNot listed
SundayTodayNot listed

Programs

Programs and care

AgesInfants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age childrenFrom the state license
Child care subsidyAccepts state child care subsidiesFrom the state license
Licensed capacity49 childrenFrom the state license

Cost

Tuition and costs

Christopher Early Learning Center has not listed its tuition. For comparison, full-time infant care at a child care center in New Castle County has a median price of $280 a week (U.S. Department of Labor, 2022).

Ask the daycare for its ratesIt has not listed its tuition. The county medians below are a starting point.
New Castle County medians, full time, per week

Infant

Center$280
Home daycare$182

Toddler

Center$199
Home daycare$154

Preschool

Center$210
Home daycare$155

School age

Center$106
Home daycare$86

County median full-time prices at centers and home daycares, U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (the latest year). Not this daycare's rates; prices have risen since.

State record

Inspection reports for Christopher Early Learning Center

License

Status
Licensed and operating
License type
Licensed Child Care Center
Capacity
49 children
Ages
Infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children
License number
#428845
See the state's record

Summary

9 visits with a cited rule in the last 3 years · Most recent Sep 28, 2026

8 rules cited in those visits. Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing publishes only visits where a rule was cited, so this record cannot show how often it was inspected.

  • Records and paperwork 4
  • Health, medication and illness 1
  • Other rules 3

A cited rule is what an inspector found on the day of a visit. It is not a rating of the daycare today.

Own this daycare? Add your response to the state record

See all 14 visits
  1. Sep 28, 2026Complaint investigation1 rule cited
    • Other rules

      OCCL Standards Complaint (Substantiated)

      “: On August 31, 2026, OCCL received a complaint regarding allegations of improper behavior supports and failing to have and follow a policy stating parents or guardians visits and monitoring of the program are welcomed and permitted without prior approval. An investigation was conducted on September 3, 2026. This complaint is substantiated for failing to follow a policy stating parents' or guardians' visits and monitoring of the program are welcomed and permitted without prior approval. Staff #1 told a parent the rule is to inform the center first before they can visit. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for improper behavior supports. Staff #1 stated Administrator #1 only comes into their classroom when help is requested with behaviors, and no improper behavior supports have been observed. Additional concerns noted at the visit were the combining of the Maranatha Academy children and the child care children and the absence of attendance record documentation for the children and staff present at the time of the visit.”
  2. Feb 18, 2026Inspection3 rules cited
    • Health, medication and illness

      63U Administration of Medication

      “Ensure administration of medication record is completed. Send MAR form for Child #14”

      Correction date in the state record: Feb 20, 2026

    • Records and paperwork

      40U Child Files

      “Ensure child files are complete. Dates and hours attending needed for Child #1,2,3,8,16 *send all dates attending and hours attending for all children enrolled”

      Correction date in the state record: Feb 19, 2026

    • Records and paperwork

      30U Personnel Files

      “Ensure staff members have complete service letters or two additional references.”

      Correction date in the state record: Feb 19, 2026

  3. Jan 23, 2026Complaint investigation1 rule cited
    • Other rules

      OCCL Standards Complaint (Substantiated)

      “The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received multiple complaints on six separate dates in December regarding a lack of supervision, classrooms out of ratio, not following a schedule, not restricting use of electronics, bribing children with gift cards, not providing developmentally appropriate activities, not using respectful communication, not following the center s posted menu, not following required meal pattern requirements, improper transportation, not allowing access to the facility, failure to report abuse or neglect, and falsifying attendance records. On December 8, 2025, December 17, 2025, and December 22, 2025, unannounced complaint investigations were conducted. Based on the results of the investigation, this complaint is substantiated because attendance documents from the weeks of December 1, 2025, and December 15, 2025, show several instances where both staff and children are not being signed in and out of the classrooms. At the time of the visits, children were observed engaging in unstructured and unsafe behavior, including running throughout the classroom without supervision, and one child sustained a head injury, and an accident injury report was not completed and the parent or guardian was not immediately notified. Staff #1 described the classroom environment as out of control, corroborating concerns regarding failure to provide developmentally appropriate educational activities. Staff #1 reported children play on tablets and phones for extended periods, and that Child #2 and Child #3 are bribed with Roblox gift cards to allow prolonged device use. OCCL observed Child #2 and Child #3 using tablets not related to educational uses. It was also observed by OCCL that children were not provided with developmentally appropriate activities, and they were not being engaged by classroom staff. On multiple visits, the food served did not match the posted menu, and menu changes were not documented. Open and improperly labeled food was also observed in the kitchen. Transportation and off-site supervision concerns were substantiated when Staff #1 took Child #4 off-site during her lunch break to run an errand. Administrator #1 provided inaccurate and inconsistent information to OCCL. Administrator #1 reported Child #1 did not attend the child care center and was homeschooled; however, attendance records show Child #1 signed into the center on multiple dates. Purchase of Care (POC) representatives reported that Administrator #1 submitted claims for at least one child who should not have been receiving funds. Administrator #1 also reported Staff #2 was present and working in a classroom; however, Staff #2 was not signed into the center, and Staff #1 stated Staff #2 was not functioning as a classroom staff member. Administrator #1 further denied Staff #2 brought children from her Family Child Care Home to the center, despite Staff #1 and the Reporter stating these children were present and not signed in on the attendance records.”
  4. Feb 5, 2025Inspection1 rule cited
    • Records and paperwork

      40U Child Files

      “Ensure child files are complete. Child # 5, 7 need immunization record and blood lead results OR notarized exemption letters”

      Correction date in the state record: Feb 7, 2025

  5. Sep 26, 2024VisitNo rules cited
  6. Aug 14, 2024VisitNo rules cited
  7. Feb 1, 2024Inspection1 rule cited
    • Records and paperwork

      30U Personnel Files

      “All staff files must be complete. Send the 7-hour health and safety training for one staff member.”

      Correction date in the state record: Feb 9, 2024

  8. Dec 8, 2023VisitNo rules cited
  9. Nov 21, 2023Complaint investigation1 rule cited
    • Other rules

      OCCL Standards Complaint (Substantiated)

      “On August 22, 2023, and August 30, 2023, two complaints regarding improper discipline were called into the Child Abuse and Neglect Line and accepted for investigation by the Institutional Abuse Unit (IAU) and the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL). An unannounced visit was conducted by OCCL and IAU on August 30, 2023. This complaint is substantiated for improper discipline because four out of five school-age children who were interviewed stated they had either been hit or had seen other children hit by Staff #1. The children all stated Staff #1 uses a ruler, which was found in the location disclosed by the children.”
  10. Aug 15, 2023VisitNo rules cited
Show 4 earlier visits
  1. Feb 13, 2023Inspection4 rules cited
    • Building, equipment and play areas

      53U Outdoor Area

      “Ensure the playground has the appropriate fall zones for all raised equipment. Send the pictures when the fall zone areas have been corrected.”

      Correction date in the state record: Mar 11, 2023

    • Food and nutrition

      50U Kitchen and Food Preparation

      “Sweep and mop the floor in the kitchen, focusing on the areas along the edge of the cabinets. Send pictures after completion.”

      Correction date in the state record: Mar 3, 2023

    • Records and paperwork

      40U Child Files

      “All child files must be complete. Send the documentation of the completed blood lead screening for four children. Send the current health appraisal for one child. Send the current immunizations for three children.”

      Correction date in the state record: Mar 3, 2023

    • Records and paperwork

      30U Personnel Files

      “All staff files must be complete. Send the completed professional development plan for one staff member. Send the completed health and safety training certificate for three staff members. Send the updated fingerprinting receipt for two staff members.”

      Correction date in the state record: Mar 3, 2023

  2. Jan 30, 2023Complaint investigation1 rule cited
    • Other rules

      OCCL Standards Complaint (Substantiated)

      “The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint on January 17, 2023, regarding the allegation that three children had their enrollment terminated due to retaliation from a previous complaint received by OCCL. The investigation of this complaint began on January 19, 2023. Although retaliation is not a regulation violation, the complaint is substantiated because the center did not follow its own expulsion policy. The center s policy states a child s enrollment may be terminated if they pose a serious threat to themselves or others. This would apply to Child #1, but not to Child #1 s siblings. Therefore, the two siblings should not have had their enrollment terminated.”
  3. Jan 13, 2023Complaint investigation1 rule cited
    • Other rules

      OCCL Standards Complaint (Substantiated)

      “The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint on December 28, 2022, regarding an allegation of improper discipline. An unannounced visit was conducted on January 4, 2023, to investigate the complaint. The complaint is substantiated for improper discipline because Child #2 stated during the investigation that Staff #1 grabbed him and hurt his arm in the exact scenario stated in the complaint OCCL received from the Reporter”
  4. Feb 7, 2022VisitNo rules cited

Copied from Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing on October 1, 2026; the state's records start around Oct 2021. Rule wording, severity and dates are the state's.

Reviews

Parent reviews

No parent reviews yet

If your child goes or went here, your review helps other parents. We check every review against our review guidelines.

Your rating

Daycares near Christopher Early Learning Center

FAQ

Questions about Christopher Early Learning Center

Is Christopher Early Learning Center licensed?

Yes. Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing lists it as licensed and operating.

When was Christopher Early Learning Center last inspected?

Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing lists the most recent visit on September 28, 2026, with 1 rule cited. It lists 9 visits in the last 3 years.

Has Christopher Early Learning Center had rules cited by the state?

Yes. Inspectors cited 8 rules across 6 of 9 visits in the last 3 years; 5 show a correction in the state record. A cited rule is what an inspector found on the day of a visit. It is not a rating of the daycare today.

How many children can Christopher Early Learning Center care for?

49, the licensed capacity on the state record. It is licensed to serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.

Does Christopher Early Learning Center accept child care subsidies?

Yes. The state record says it accepts child care subsidies.

What are Christopher Early Learning Center's hours?

Monday to Friday, 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Holiday hours can differ.

How much does Christopher Early Learning Center cost?

It has not listed its tuition. Call (302) 764-7162 to ask.

What is Christopher Early Learning Center's phone number?

(302) 764-7162.

Where is Christopher Early Learning Center?

4001 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19802. The nearest other daycare we list is Next Generation Learning Academy, under 0.1 miles away.

Sources: Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing (license and visits) · U.S. Department of Labor, 2022 (county prices).