Skip to main content

Austin · Licensed center

Hillcrest Childrens Academy

hillcrestacademy.kids

At a glance

  • Large play-based center, licensed for 250 children.
  • Ages They list: babies to 5th grade.
  • Tuition Infant $1,494, toddler $1,472, preschool $1,364 a month, full time. See costs
  • Run by a nonprofit. A board oversees it, and there are no owners taking profit.

What the state has found

This state publishes the visits that cited something but not the ones that cited nothing, so there is no city rate to set this beside.

See each inspection

Licensing inspections

  • Sep 30, 20261 citation
    • 746.3819 - Food Allergy Emergency Plan Signed by Parents and Health Care ProfessionalMedium High
      • “One Fare form was more than a year old and one Fare form did not have both a parent and medical professional signature.”

        746.3819 - Food Allergy Emergency Plan Signed by Parents and Health Care Professional

  • Aug 5, 20264 citations
    • 746.3819 - Food Allergy Emergency Plan Signed by Parents and Health Care ProfessionalMedium High
      • “Two allergy action plans were not signed by both the parent and health care provider.”

        746.3819 - Food Allergy Emergency Plan Signed by Parents and Health Care Professional

    • 746.3407 - Maintenance of Building, Grounds and EquipmentMedium High
      • “One classroom has an area of peeling paint on the wall about the size of a dinner plate and the flooring is chipped. The outdoor area has gravel loose fill on the sidewalks and play structure that could pose a fall risk.”

        746.3407 - Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment

    • 746.5205(4) - Documentation of DrillsMedium
      • “Documentation of Fire Drills were not available for review.”

        746.5205(4) - Documentation of Drills

    • 746.801(8) - Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Playground Maintenance RecordsMedium
      • “A playground maintenance checklist was not available for review.”

        746.801(8) - Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Playground Maintenance Records

  • May 7, 20261 citation
    • 746.1105(3) - Minimum Qualifications Employees and Caregivers - Affidavit (Form 2985)Low
      • “Affidavit 2985 was missing from the personnel ffiles.”

        746.1105(3) - Minimum Qualifications Employees and Caregivers - Affidavit (Form 2985)

  • Oct 28, 20255 citations
    • 746.603(a)(2) - Children's Records - Admission InformationMedium
      • “Admission paperwork did not include all required information, including the emergency contact's address, ER care authorization, health statements, and immunizations.”

        746.603(a)(2) - Children's Records - Admission Information

    • 746.501(a)(1) - Written Operational Policies - Operating TimesMedium
      • “Operational policies did not include all required information, such as promoting indoor/outdoor physical activity, the Abuse Neglect hotline, and the Gang-free zone notification.”

        746.501(a)(1) - Written Operational Policies - Operating Times

    • 746.4003(a) - First Aid Kit - Incomplete KitMedium
      • “The first aid kit did not include the guide to first aid.”

        746.4003(a) - First Aid Kit - Incomplete Kit

    • 746.4135(b) - Children's Products- Annual CertificationMedium
      • “The product safety certification was not available for review.”

        746.4135(b) - Children's Products- Annual Certification

    • 746.901 - Required Personnel RecordsMedium
      • “Personnel files did not include all of the required information, such as, high school diploma, training records and affidavits 2985 and 2912”

        746.901 - Required Personnel Records

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Texas HHSC

Last visit
September 30, 2026
On file
4 visits since October 2025 — all of them cited findings · 1 complaint investigation
Most serious
High — A child was left unattended outside for about two minutes. · February 4, 2026

Texas HHSC describes each deficiency in writing and weights the standard behind it from high to low by the risk a violation presents to children. It publishes no inspection document.

Sep 2026 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · September 30, 2026

746.3819 - Food Allergy Emergency Plan Signed by Parents and Health Care Professional · Medium High

One Fare form was more than a year old and one Fare form did not have both a parent and medical professional signature.

State licensing record

Aug 2026 Licensing visit 4 findings

Licensing visit · August 5, 2026

746.3819 - Food Allergy Emergency Plan Signed by Parents and Health Care Professional · Medium High

Two allergy action plans were not signed by both the parent and health care provider.

746.5205(4) - Documentation of Drills · Medium

Documentation of Fire Drills were not available for review.

746.3407 - Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment · Medium High

One classroom has an area of peeling paint on the wall about the size of a dinner plate and the flooring is chipped. The outdoor area has gravel loose fill on the sidewalks and play structure that could pose a fall risk.

746.801(8) - Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Playground Maintenance Records · Medium

A playground maintenance checklist was not available for review.

State licensing record

May 2026 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · May 7, 2026

746.1105(3) - Minimum Qualifications Employees and Caregivers - Affidavit (Form 2985) · Low

Affidavit 2985 was missing from the personnel ffiles.

State licensing record

Feb 2026 Complaint

Complaint · February 4, 2026

Reported to the state by the program

Self-report is Texas HHSC’s own field on its complaint investigation record.

746.1205(a)(4) - Supervision ensures each child?s safety, well-being, including physical proximity and auditory or visual awareness of each child?s on going activity · High

A child was left unattended outside for about two minutes.

State licensing record

Oct 2025 Licensing visit 5 findings

Licensing visit · October 28, 2025

746.603(a)(2) - Children's Records - Admission Information · Medium

Admission paperwork did not include all required information, including the emergency contact's address, ER care authorization, health statements, and immunizations.

746.501(a)(1) - Written Operational Policies - Operating Times · Medium

Operational policies did not include all required information, such as promoting indoor/outdoor physical activity, the Abuse Neglect hotline, and the Gang-free zone notification.

746.4003(a) - First Aid Kit - Incomplete Kit · Medium

The first aid kit did not include the guide to first aid.

746.4135(b) - Children's Products- Annual Certification · Medium

The product safety certification was not available for review.

746.901 - Required Personnel Records · Medium

Personnel files did not include all of the required information, such as, high school diploma, training records and affidavits 2985 and 2912

State licensing record

Shortlist replaces people’s names in the state’s text with initials. This is done by rule, not by hand, so it can miss a name or shorten a word that isn’t one. The state’s report, linked on each row, has the original.

What it costs

Infant$1,494
Toddler$1,472
Preschool$1,364

Hillcrest Childrens AcademyMost Austin-area prices (middle 80%)

Monthly, full time. The band is the middle 80% of Austin-area full-time prices for that age; 25 infant, 26 toddler and 30 preschool programs publish one.

Part time
$758 to $1,295 a month
Application fee
$150
Siblings
Registration for second child is $75.00 + their first week tuition

How they teach

Play-based

“We strongly believe that learning happens through play.”

Details

Phone
(512) 598-9421
Address
3838 Steck Ave, Austin, 78759
License
1825596
Ages they serve
Babies to 5th grade

We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, hours and late pickup, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.

Run Hillcrest Childrens Academy? Correct or add anything here, free.
Sources and dates

Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.

How they teach

What it costs

  • Infant, Toddler, Preschool, Second price, Application fee, Sibling discount — Checked July 2026 hillcrestacademy.kids

State record

From Texas HHSC’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.

Details

Large means the biggest quarter of Austin-area’s 928 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 154 to 731 children. Small is 12 to 61; medium is 62 to 153.

Watch