Public Record
Castle Head Start
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About this facility
Operating details and county context
Operating details
- Capacity
- 76 children
- Age range
- 2 years to 5 years
- Phone
- (209) 381-5176
- Address
- 2050 Academy
- Licensed since
Merced County context
285*CCLD
Total facilities
2.0*CCLD
Avg citations
5.3*CCLD
Avg visits
0.7*CCLD
Avg complaint visits
*CCLD: California Community Care Licensing Division. Updated weekly. Last refresh .
Citations
7 citations on record
Every regulation cited on a CCLD inspection of this facility, sourced from the public record. Each row links to the visit’s inspector narrative.
What does Type A vs Type B mean?
Type A. Serious citation. Imminent or substantial risk to children. The regulator requires corrective action immediately and may impose a civil penalty.
Type B. Lower-severity citation. Corrective action required, no imminent risk. The regulator monitors compliance on the next visit.
2026
- 101223(a)(2)Type A
PERSONAL RIGHTS
- 101229(a)(1)Type A
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING CARE AND SUPERVISION
(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, except as specified in Sections 101216.2(e)(1) and 101230(c)(1). Supervision shall include visual observation. This requirement is not met as evidenced by:Based on the record review and interviews conducted, it was confirmed that C1 was left unsupervised in the playground for seven minutes without adult supervision. This poses an immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of children in care.
2025
- 101229(a)(1)Type B
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING CARE AND SUPERVISION
- 101229(a)(1)Type B
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING CARE AND SUPERVISION
(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, except as specified in Sections 101216.2(e)(1) and 101230(c)(1). Supervision shall include visual observation. This requirement is not met as evidenced by:Based on record review and interviews conducted, it was confirmed that due to the lack of supervision, Child #1 (C1) had access to the off-limits. This poses a potential risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of children in care.
- 101223(a)(3)Type A
PERSONAL RIGHTS
(a) The licensee shall ensure that each child is accorded the following personal rights: (3) To be free from corporal or unusual punishment, infliction of pain, humiliation, intimidation, ridicule, coercion, threat, mental abuse or other actions of a punitive nature… This requirement is not met as evidenced by:Based on record review and interviews conducted, it was confirmed that Staff #2 (S2) violated Child #1 (C1)’s Personal Rights by causing physical pain, intimidated, and threat C1. This poses an immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of children in care.
2024
- 101223(a)(2)Type A
PERSONAL RIGHTS
(a) The licensee shall ensure that each child is accorded the following personal rights: (2)To be accorded safe, healthful, and comfortable accommodations, furnishings and equipment to meet his/her needs.This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review and interviews conducted, C1 started having fever at 8:20 AM at 100.9, at 12:30 PM, C1’s fever was 102.4 and by 1:15 PM, C1 fever was at 103.2. During the interviews, staff were not aware of the protocol if a child involved is extremely ill and if the child’s parent is not able to be reached. Staff were also not able to identify the next appropriate protocol to take. This poses an immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of children in care.
2023
- 1597.16(a)(1)Type B
ARTICLE 3. Administration
Based on record reviewed, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above. As of today's date 03/02/2023 facility has not provided Community Care Licensing with evidence of testing the water used for drinking or food preparation for lead contamination as required, therefore facility is out of compliance which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Inspection record
15 visits on record since 2022. Most recent on 2026-03-26.
4 routine inspections.
- InspectionNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- Other1 Type ARead inspector’s narrative
- OtherNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- OtherNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- Other1 Type ARead inspector’s narrative
- OtherNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- Other1 Type BRead inspector’s narrative
- Other1 Type ARead inspector’s narrative
- InspectionNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- OtherNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- Other1 Type ARead inspector’s narrative
- InspectionNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- OtherNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
- Inspection1 Type BRead inspector’s narrative
- OtherNo citationsRead inspector’s narrative
7 citations across the record on file
Nearby
Other licensed daycares in Atwater
MOLINA DELGADO, SUGEHIRY FAMILY CHILD CARE
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Clean recordFRUITLAND CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
3 visits on record
Clean recordWILLIAMS FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
3 visits on record
Clean recordFRUITLAND CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
3 visits on record
Clean recordSCHILLING, KELLI FAMILY CHILD CARE
3 visits on record
Clean record
FAQ
Common questions about this facility
Is Castle Head Start licensed in California?
Yes, Castle Head Start is currently licensed in California. It has been licensed since 2006.
How many citations does Castle Head Start have?
Castle Head Start has 7 citations on record: 4 Type A (more serious) and 2 Type B citations. It has received 15 visits (4 inspections, 11 other visits).
When was Castle Head Start last inspected?
Castle Head Start was last inspected on March 26, 2026 (5 weeks ago). California CCLD typically inspects licensed childcare facilities annually or following a complaint.
What type of childcare is Castle Head Start?
Castle Head Start is a Child Care Center (CCC), which is a facility-based program typically serving larger groups of children with multiple staff members with a licensed capacity of 76 children. It is located in Atwater, Merced County, California.
How does Castle Head Start compare to other daycares in Merced County?
Castle Head Start has 7 citations. The county average is 2.0 citations per facility. There are 285 licensed childcare facilities in Merced County.
Does Castle Head Start have any serious violations?
Castle Head Start has 4 Type A citations on record. Type A citations indicate conditions that pose an immediate health or safety risk to children. Review the inspection timeline above for details on each citation.
What ages does Castle Head Start serve?
Castle Head Start serves children from age 2 to age 5. It has a licensed capacity of 76 children.
From the Provider · Not yet on file
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