Awards Earned

Top 10 in Delaware

Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Delaware. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.

Most Compassionate

Earned the highest compassion score in Delaware. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.

Best Culture

Earned the highest culture score in Delaware. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.

Full Ranking Detail

childcare

Delaware Cooperative Preschool, located at 55 West Lincoln Avenue in Delaware, Ohio, is a non-profit, parent-cooperative preschool that has served the community since 1984. The center operates age-grouped programs for children ages 2-5, with a play-based, Montessori-inspired curriculum emphasizing hands-on exploration and child-led learning rather than worksheets. Parents are actively engaged in governance and classroom participation, a model that has consistently earned 100% recommendation from parent reviewers who note their children thrive and eagerly attend. The cooperative structure does require parent volunteer hours, which may require consideration for families unable to commit time. The center is not yet enrolled in Ohio's SUTQ quality rating system.

Safety6.0

Curriculum7.0

Art / Music7.0

Infant care5.0

Kindergarten readiness7.0

Teacher quality7.0

Compassion8.0

Management7.0

Culture8.0

Extracurriculars7.0

Programs & curriculum

Curriculum & approach: Play-based, Montessori-inspired approach emphasizing learning through play, exploration, and creativity. Uses hands-on materials, meaningful conversation, and observation rather than worksheets.

Programs & activities: Age-grouped programs: Toddler Time (ages 2-3) with hands-on exploration and movement, Preschool (ages 3-4) with focused activity cycles and fine motor development, and Pre-K (ages 4-5) with science learning. Outdoor classroom time is referenced.

What sets it apart: Non-profit cooperative preschool where parents volunteer in classrooms and participate in governance via quarterly meetings and an elected Board of Directors. Enrollment open for the 2026-2027 school year; non-discrimination policy stated.

Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge

🏆 For Center Directors

Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.

Top 10 in Delaware

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/delaware/delaware-cooperative-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-10-city.jpg" alt="Top 10 in Delaware - Delaware Cooperative Preschool - Delaware, OH" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Top 10 in Delaware Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Delaware. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring. </a>

Most Compassionate

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/delaware/delaware-cooperative-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg" alt="Most Compassionate - Delaware Cooperative Preschool - Delaware, OH" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Most Compassionate Earned the highest compassion score in Delaware. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center. </a>

Best Culture

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/delaware/delaware-cooperative-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-culture.jpg" alt="Best Culture - Delaware Cooperative Preschool - Delaware, OH" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Best Culture Earned the highest culture score in Delaware. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door. </a>

← Back to all Delaware rankings

This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.

Read our full ranking methodology →