Castro Valley · Licensed center
Miss Helens Preschool
At a glance
- Small center, licensed for 22 children.
- Run by the person who holds the license.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at 2 of its 3 licensing inspections since February 2022.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
- Jun 11, 2025Nothing cited
Mar 17, 20231 citation
HSC 1597.16(a)(1)Type B
“(1) A licensed child day care center, as defined in Section 1596.76, that is located in a building that was constructed before January 1, 2010, shall have its drinking water tested for lead contamination levels on or after January 1, 2020, but no later than January 1, 2023, and every five years after the date of the initial test. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on interview & record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as the licensee did not have lead testing performed for the facility which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.”
HSC 1597.16(a)(1)
Feb 24, 20224 citations
CCR 101174(d)(2)Type B
“(d) Disaster drills shall be conducted at least every six months. (2) The drills shall be documented. This documentation shall be kept in the child care center for at least one year. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. Last recorded emergency drill performed was on 03/05/2020. Director states that drills are performed but not recorded.”
CCR 101174(d)(2)
CCR 101238(g)Type B
“(g) 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 is not met as evidenced by: Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. A container of Clorox wipes was left unattended and within reach of children in care.”
CCR 101238(g)
CCR 101216(f)Type B
“(f) At least one staff member who is trained in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation and pediatric first aid pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 1596.866 shall be present when children are at the child care center or offsite for center activities. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. Director's CPR/First-Aid Certification expired on 07/12/2016.”
CCR 101216(f)
CCR 101226(e)(3)(B)Type B
“(3) Prescription medications may be administered if all of the following conditions are met: (B) For each prescription medication, the licensee shall obtain, in writing, approval and instructions from the child's authorized representative for the administration of the medication to the child. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. One child has a prescribed Epi-Pen at the facility but does not have a signed Parent Consent for Medicaiton Administration (LIC 9221) form.”
CCR 101226(e)(3)(B)
The state cited rules at 2 of this center's 3 inspections. Most Bay Area centers inspected 3 times had fewer: 85% of 568 had rules cited at 1 or none.
How all 568 Bay Area centers inspected 3 times compare
Of the 568 Bay Area centers the state inspected 3 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- None51%
- 1 of 334%
- 2 of 312%This center
- All 33%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — California CDSS Community Care Licensing
- Last visit
- June 11, 2025
- On file
- 3 visits since February 2022 — 1 cited nothing
- 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.
Mar 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · March 17, 2023
HSC 1597.16(a)(1) · Type B
(1) A licensed child day care center, as defined in Section 1596.76, that is located in a building that was constructed before January 1, 2010, shall have its drinking water tested for lead contamination levels on or after January 1, 2020, but no later than January 1, 2023, and every five years after the date of the initial test. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on interview & record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as the licensee did not have lead testing performed for the facility which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Feb 2022 Licensing visit 4 findings
Licensing visit · February 24, 2022
CCR 101174(d)(2) · Type B
(d) Disaster drills shall be conducted at least every six months. (2) The drills shall be documented. This documentation shall be kept in the child care center for at least one year. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. Last recorded emergency drill performed was on 03/05/2020. Director states that drills are performed but not recorded.
CCR 101238(g) · Type B
(g) 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 is not met as evidenced by: Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. A container of Clorox wipes was left unattended and within reach of children in care.
CCR 101216(f) · Type B
(f) At least one staff member who is trained in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation and pediatric first aid pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 1596.866 shall be present when children are at the child care center or offsite for center activities. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. Director's CPR/First-Aid Certification expired on 07/12/2016.
CCR 101226(e)(3)(B) · Type B
(3) Prescription medications may be administered if all of the following conditions are met: (B) For each prescription medication, the licensee shall obtain, in writing, approval and instructions from the child's authorized representative for the administration of the medication to the child. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. One child has a prescribed Epi-Pen at the facility but does not have a signed Parent Consent for Medicaiton Administration (LIC 9221) form.
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.
Details
- Phone
- (510) 727-0790
- Address
- 20121 Santa Maria, Castro Valley, 94546
- License
- 013420917
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.
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.
All checked November 2026.
State record
From California CDSS Community Care Licensing’s published reports, last checked November 5, 2026.
Details
- Phone, Address, License, Who runs it ccld.dss.ca.gov
Small means the smallest quarter of Bay Area’s 439 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 8 to 30 children. Medium is 31 to 75; large is 76 to 312.