Berkeley · Licensed center
Step One School
At a glance
- Large center, licensed for 108 children.
- Run by a nonprofit. A board oversees it, and there are no owners taking profit.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at 2 of its 6 licensing inspections since April 2023.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
- Jun 3, 2026Nothing cited
- May 29, 2026Nothing cited
May 14, 20261 citation
CCR 101223(a)(3)Type A
“101223 Personal Rights (a) The licensee shall ensure that each child is accorded the following personal rights: (3) To be free from...infliction of pain...or other actions of a punitive nature...This requirement has not been met as evidenced by: Based on interviews, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above when S1 placed their hands under C1's under arm in an attempt to bring C1 closer to S1 to talk, leaving a red mark on C1 which poses an immediate risk to the health, safety or personal rights of children in care.”
CCR 101223(a)(3)
- Apr 17, 2025Nothing cited
Feb 28, 20241 citation
CCR 101229(a)(1)Type A
“(a) The licensee shall provide care and supervision as necessary to meet the children's needs. (1) No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time...Supervision shall include visual observation. This requirement was not met as evidenced by: Based on staff interviews and records review it was determined that a child was able to leave the facility and go up the street without adult supervision; which poses an immediate risk to the health, safety, and Personal Rights of the children in care.”
CCR 101229(a)(1)
- Apr 19, 2023Nothing cited
The state cited rules at 2 of this center's 6 inspections. Most Bay Area centers inspected 6 times had fewer: 52% of 252 had rules cited at 1 or none.
How all 252 Bay Area centers inspected 6 times compare
Of the 252 Bay Area centers the state inspected 6 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- None17%
- 1 of 635%
- 2 of 631%This center
- 3 of 612%
- 4 of 66%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — California CDSS Community Care Licensing
- Last visit
- June 3, 2026
- On file
- 6 visits since April 2023 — 4 cited nothing
- Most serious
- Type A —
101223 Personal Rights (a) The licensee shall ensure that each child is accorded the following personal rights: (3) To be free from...infliction of pain...or other actions of a punitive nature...This requirement has not been met as evidenced by: Based on interviews, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above when S1 placed their hands under C1's under arm in an attempt to bring C1 closer to S1 to talk, leaving a red mark on C1 which poses an immediate risk to the health, safety or personal rights of children in care.
· May 14, 2026
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.
May 2026 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · May 14, 2026
CCR 101223(a)(3) · Type A
101223 Personal Rights (a) The licensee shall ensure that each child is accorded the following personal rights: (3) To be free from...infliction of pain...or other actions of a punitive nature...This requirement has not been met as evidenced by: Based on interviews, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above when S1 placed their hands under C1's under arm in an attempt to bring C1 closer to S1 to talk, leaving a red mark on C1 which poses an immediate risk to the health, safety or personal rights of children in care.
Feb 2024 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · February 28, 2024
CCR 101229(a)(1) · Type A
(a) The licensee shall provide care and supervision as necessary to meet the children's needs. (1) No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time...Supervision shall include visual observation. This requirement was not met as evidenced by: Based on staff interviews and records review it was determined that a child was able to leave the facility and go up the street without adult supervision; which poses an immediate risk to the health, safety, and Personal Rights of the children in care.
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) 527-9021
- Address
- 499 Spruce Street, Berkeley, 94708
- License
- 010209297
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
Large means the biggest quarter of Bay Area’s 439 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 76 to 312 children. Small is 8 to 30; medium is 31 to 75.