San Mateo · Licensed center
Highlands Recreation District
- Medium play-based center, licensed for 38 children.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at 1 of its 8 licensing inspections under this license since March 2022.
Fewer than 20 Bay Area centers have had 8 licensing inspections, so there is no comparison yet.
Licensing inspections
Oct 24, 20231 citation
“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.”
CCR 101238(g)
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — California CDSS Community Care Licensing
- Last visit
- January 30, 2026
- On file
- 8 visits since March 2022 — 7 cited nothing · 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 1 of 3 allegations substantiated
Complaint · October 16, 2023
California decided each allegation separately.
Substantiated
- Staff left day care children unattended.
Unsubstantiated
- Staff did not prevent day care child from having access to hazardous item.
- Staff did not provide adequate food service to day care children.
Substantiated: the state found it more likely than not that it happened. Unsubstantiated: the state could not tell whether it happened.
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.
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.
Openings, child care subsidies, cost, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies aren’t on this page.
How they teach
Play-based
“Through play-based learning, children develop self-identity, emotional regulation, and relationship building.”
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
- 414005200, 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)Run Highlands Recreation District? Correct or add anything here, free.
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
From California CDSS Community Care Licensing’s published reports, last checked October 10, 2026.
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
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.