San Mateo · Licensed center
Highlands Recreation District
- Medium play-based center, licensed for 38 children.
What these mean, and where they come from
Medium means the middle half of Bay Area’s 439 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 31 to 75 children. Small is 8 to 30; large is 76 to 312.
How they teach
Play-based
“Through play-based learning, children develop self-identity, emotional regulation, and relationship building.”In their words, July 2026.highlandsrec.ca.gov
One of 82 Bay Area providers that describe a play-based approach, out of 164 that describe any approach at all.
Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, ratios and staff, a typical day, sick and biting policies.
What the state has found
The state lists 6 visits below. Shortlist has not read the reports behind them, so there is no share of visits that cited something to set beside other providers yet.
State record — California CDSS Community Care Licensing
- Last visit
- December 5, 2025
- On file
- 6 visits since March 2022 · 1 complaint investigation
- Most serious
- No finding carrying a severity level in the last 24 months.
California CDSS publishes the full investigation narrative for a complaint, including its disposition, and classifies a citation Type A — an immediate risk to a child — or Type B.
Oct 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · October 24, 2023
CCR 101238(g) · Type B
101238(g) Building and Grounds: Disinfectants, cleaning solutions, poisons and other items that could pose a danger if readily available to children shall be stored where inaccessible to children. This requirement was not met as evidenced by: At 9:00AM., Based on observations and interviews, LPA confirmed accessible cleaning solution, spray bottle, in the Tiger classroom. This poses a potential health and safety risk to children in care.
Oct 2023 Complaint
Complaint · October 16, 2023
CCR 101229(a)(1) · Type B
101229(a)(1) Responsible for Providing Care and Supervision: No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time, except as specified in Sections 101216.2(e)(1) and 101230(c)(1). Supervision shall include visual observation. This requirement was not met as evidenced by: Based on evidence collected, LPA determine allegation of staff left day care children unattended is valid. This poses a potential health and safety risk to children in care.
A day here
- Hours
- 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, year round
- Schedule
- full-day
Details
- Website
- highlandsrec.ca.gov
- Address
- 1851 Lexington Avenue
- License
- 414001561, active
- Ages they serve
- 3 months through 5.5 years
The state licenses this address more than once, to the same licensee.
The infant-center license is published separately, with its own license and its own inspection record:
Highlands Recreation Dist. (infant)Do you run Highlands Recreation District? Shortlist has no tuition, ratios or policies for it, because the state does not publish that. Adding it is free and takes about ten minutes.
Add what is missingSources 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.
All checked July 2026.
How they teach
- Approach highlandsrec.ca.gov
State record
Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.
A day here
- Hours, Calendar, Schedule highlandsrec.ca.gov
Details
- Phone, Address, License ccld.dss.ca.gov
- Website highlandsrec.ca.gov
- Ages they serve highlandsrec.ca.gov