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The state of child care in Delaware
A synthesis of everything Childcare Alerts tracks about Delaware child care — scale, quality, compliance, ownership, access, and news — from public records. Figures describe the public data; they aren't a rating.
Who runs child care in Delaware
How Delaware's licensed providers break down by ownership — independent vs. the national chains, and the private-equity firms or public companies behind them. About 2% are PE-owned or public chains.
■ Independent (91%) · ■ Nonprofit (5%) · ■ Government (2%) · ■ Private equity (2%) · ■ Public (1%) · ■ Family/Franchise (0%)
Largest chains here: Cadence Education (8, PE) · KinderCare (7) · The Goddard School (5, PE) · Bright Horizons (3) · Celebree School (3) · The Learning Experience (3, PE)
What violations get cited
The most-cited violation themes in Delaware's public inspection records. Full breakdown →
Access
Counties with the fewest licensed providers in Delaware — a rough map of where families have the least choice.
Kent (224 providers) · Sussex (249 providers) · New Castle (780 providers)
In the news
- Governor Meyer signs bills expanding affordable summer childcare accessCoastTV · 2026-08-18
- Governor Meyer signs bills expanding affordable summer childcare accessWDEL · 2026-08-18
- Gov. Meyer signs bills expanding summer camp child care - 47abcWMDT · 2026-08-18
- Gov. Meyer signs bills aiming to expand access to summer childcare programsDelaware Public Media · 2026-08-17
- Federal rule changes could limit Ohio childcare programsFOX 8 News · 2026-08-14
Childcare Alerts is an independent service that synthesizes public Delaware child care records for education and research. It is not a rating or a safety verdict; the official state record always controls.