Shell's Early Learning Center - Dover
868 S State St, Dover, DE
4.2· 88 reviews
Tender Hearts Learning Center
- licensed capacity
- 97
- a week, county median
- $139
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About
About Tender Hearts Learning Center
Tender Hearts Learning Center is a licensed child care center in Dover, Delaware. It is licensed by the state, for up to 97 children, serving toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.
Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing made 5 visits in the last 3 years and cited 12 rules across 5 of them. The visit list, in the state's words, is below.
School-ageAccepts child care subsidy
Ages served: toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children
6 wk
6 mo
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
10
12 yr
Ask when you call: rates, current openings, staff-to-child ratio, teacher qualifications and hours.
- Type
- Child care center
- Ages
- Toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children
- Hours today
- Not listed
- Licensed capacity
- 97 children
Hours
Hours
Hours not listed. Call (302) 674-2565 to confirm.
Programs
Programs and care
| Ages | Toddlers, preschoolers and school-age childrenFrom the state license |
|---|---|
| Child care subsidy | Accepts state child care subsidiesFrom the state license |
| Licensed capacity | 97 childrenFrom the state license |
Cost
Tuition and costs
Tender Hearts Learning Center has not listed its tuition. For comparison, full-time toddler care at a child care center in Kent County has a median price of $139 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.
Infant
Center$182
Home daycare$156
Toddler
Center$139
Home daycare$128
Preschool
Center$145
Home daycare$129
School age
Center$111
Home daycare$64
State record
Inspection reports for Tender Hearts Learning Center
License
- Status
- Licensed and operating
- License type
- Licensed Child Care Center
- Capacity
- 97 children
- Ages
- Toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children
- License number
- #491838
Summary
5 visits with a cited rule in the last 3 years · Most recent Aug 13, 2026
12 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
- Building, equipment and play areas 3
- Supervision and ratios 2
- Staff training and qualifications 1
- Food and nutrition 1
- Other rules 1
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 8 visits
Aug 13, 2026Inspection2 rules cited
53U Outdoor Area
“Ensure fall zones have at least 9 inches of material. Playgrounds need mulch replenished. Ensure gates are self-closing/ self-latching. Gate exiting the playground has broke latch.”
Correction date in the state record: Aug 14, 2026
30U Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. One staff needs letter of eligibility”
Correction date in the state record: Aug 30, 2026
Aug 18, 2025Inspection2 rules cited
53U Outdoor Area
“Ensure fall zones extend at least six feet in all directions and has at least nine inches deep of material. The two year old and preschool playgrounds need mulch.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 23, 2025
40U Child Files
“Ensure child files are complete. One child needs blood lead screening and an MAR on file.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 23, 2025
Apr 4, 2025Complaint investigation1 rule cited
OCCL Standards Complaint (Substantiated)
“On March 14, 2025, the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint regarding improper staff-to-child ratio. An investigation was conducted on March 17, 2025. This complaint is substantiated for improper staff-to-child ratio because according to attendance records, the one/two-year-old classroom was over ratio on March 10, 2025 with up to nine children, the youngest being an infant, with two unqualified staff from 9:06 am until 2:44 pm; on March 11, 2025, with up to ten children, the youngest being an infant, with two unqualified staff from 8:46 am until 3:40 pm; and on March 12, 2025, with up to ten children, the youngest being an infant, with two unqualified staff from 8:46 am until 3:40 pm. A concern noted was staff stated a child under the age of one, who cannot walk, was sleeping on a cot and not in a crib or pack-n-play.”
Sep 4, 2024Inspection2 rules cited
28U General Qualifications
“Ensure each staff member supervising children have been fingerprinted and deemed eligible before being left alone with children. Specialist noted an aide watching a classroom of children.”
27U Ratios, Group Size, and Supervision
“Ensure staff to child ratios and supervision is maintained at all times. Specialist noted two teachers and one aide supervising three classrooms during naptime.”
Aug 28, 2024Inspection5 rules cited
50U Kitchen and Food Preparation
“Ensure all food in the kitchen is labeled with the contents and expiration dates.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 10, 2024
49U Indoor Space
“Ensure air fresheners are not used during child care hours. This was discussed and corrected at visit when the provider took down the air freshener in the lobby area.”
Corrected during the visit
40U Child Files
“Ensure child files are complete. Two children need blood lead screenings.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 17, 2024
30U Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. One staff needs 2 training hours in Health and Safety. One staff needs an adult health appraisal with TB on OCCL's form.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 17, 2024
27U Ratios, Group Size, and Supervision
“Ensure interns under the age of 18 are supervised at all times. Specialist noted two underage interns with 10 children on the playground. This was discussed and corrected at the visit when a ECT arrived to the classroom.”
Corrected during the visit
Aug 4, 2023Inspection6 rules cited
76U Activity Schedule
“Ensure a schedule is posted. The Pre-K classroom had no schedule posted.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
61U Diapering and Soiled Clothing
“Ensure a non-porous surface is used. the one and two year old classroom need changing pads. Ensure diapers are disposed of in a foot activated pail for diapers only.”
Corrected during the visit
57U Equipment
“Ensure enough equipment is available at all times the three-year-old classroom needs music equipment.”
Corrected during the visit
30U Personnel Files
“Ensure staff files are complete. Two staff need job descriptions, one staff needs four reference letters, nine staff need a letter of eligibility on file.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
28U General Qualifications
“Ensure a comprehensive background check is completed every five years. Three staff need to complete a five year comprehensive background check.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
26U Staffing
“Ensure a teacher or higher is trained in the absence of the administrator and documented in the staff members file.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
Aug 1, 2023Inspection5 rules cited
74U Lesson Plans
“Ensure the lesson plan must include at least one daily activity for physical, social-emotional, language and literacy, and cognitive development. Allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, part of the group, or independently must be included. Cooking, food exploration, or healthy habits, such as talking about healthy habits or comparing the taste and texture of different foods; science and nature investigation, music and rhythm, multi-sensory play.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
53U Outdoor Area
“Ensure fall zones are nine inches in depth for wood chips.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
50U Kitchen and Food Preparation
“Ensure the refrigerator and freezer maintain proper temperatures. A freezer thermometer read 10 degrees Fahrenheit. A refrigerator read 42 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
49U Indoor Space
“Ensure all trash cans have lids on them at all times. LS observed the Pre-K classroom a lid off a trash can that had food waste and other trash items in it. The bathroom has a trash can with out a lid. Ensure the classroom walls are in good repair. the one and two year old classrooms need paint applied in various areas of the room.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
40U Child Files
“Ensure child files are complete. One child needs a blood lead screening test. One child needs a complete file.”
Correction date in the state record: Sep 5, 2023
- Sep 16, 2022VisitNo rules cited
Reviews
Parent reviews
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FAQ
Questions about Tender Hearts Learning Center
Is Tender Hearts Learning Center licensed?
Yes. Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing lists it as licensed and operating.
When was Tender Hearts Learning Center last inspected?
Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing lists the most recent visit on August 13, 2026, with 2 rules cited. It lists 5 visits in the last 3 years.
Has Tender Hearts Learning Center had rules cited by the state?
Yes. Inspectors cited 12 rules across 5 of 5 visits in the last 3 years; 9 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 Tender Hearts Learning Center care for?
97, the licensed capacity on the state record. It is licensed to serve toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.
Does Tender Hearts Learning Center accept child care subsidies?
Yes. The state record says it accepts child care subsidies.
What are Tender Hearts Learning Center's hours?
Its hours are not listed. Call (302) 674-2565 to confirm.
How much does Tender Hearts Learning Center cost?
It has not listed its tuition. Call (302) 674-2565 to ask.
What is Tender Hearts Learning Center's phone number?
(302) 674-2565.
Where is Tender Hearts Learning Center?
1339 South Governors Avenue, Dover, DE 19904. The nearest other daycare we list is YMCA of Delaware/South Dover, 0.4 miles away.