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.
Best for Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Delaware. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
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
Penguin Crossing Academy in Delaware, Ohio is an Ohio SUTQ Silver-rated, licensed center-based provider serving infants (6 weeks) through school-age children. Operating since 2006 with a tenured teaching staff, the center has built a reputation for knowing each child individually, with parents consistently praising prompt responsiveness to concerns. The center excels in special-needs inclusion and accommodating severe food allergies, offering a play-based curriculum with music, hands-on creative projects, and field trips to local farms and recreational facilities. Brightwheel app updates keep parents connected with daily photos and documentation. Extended hours (7:00am–6:00pm), balanced meal service, and acceptance of PFCC subsidy vouchers make it accessible to working families across a range of income levels.
Safety7.0
Curriculum7.0
Art / Music6.0
Infant care6.0
Kindergarten readiness7.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion8.0
Management7.0
Culture8.0
Extracurriculars7.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Play-based learning approach focused on developing social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. Emphasizes nurturing the whole child through hands-on activities and engaging lessons.
Programs & activities: Music class, hands-on creative projects, and field trips (e.g., Dentstead Acres farm, Kid Strong obstacle courses). Before- and after-school care with homework support.
What sets it apart: Healthy balanced meals provided with allergen accommodations; operating hours 7:00am-6:00pm Monday to Friday; secure clean facilities; regular photo updates via the Brightwheel app; states operating since 2006 (20+ years). Serves infants (6 weeks) through school age (12 years).
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
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Penguin Crossing Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/delaware/penguin-crossing-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-10-city.jpg"
alt="Top 10 in Delaware - Penguin Crossing Academy - Delaware, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Penguin Crossing Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/delaware/penguin-crossing-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-safety.jpg"
alt="Best for Safety - Penguin Crossing Academy - Delaware, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Penguin Crossing Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/delaware/penguin-crossing-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg"
alt="Most Compassionate - Penguin Crossing Academy - Delaware, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Penguin Crossing Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/delaware/penguin-crossing-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-culture.jpg"
alt="Best Culture - Penguin Crossing Academy - Delaware, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
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.
