Hearth Record

Little Stars Child Development Center

A child care center in Hickory, North Carolina 28601

2210 18th Avenue NE, Hickory, North Carolina 28601. (828) 256-0162.

North Carolina’s own record, on ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. North Carolina’s own record is on ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov.

The short answer

The last 24 months 7 violations in 4 months of the last 36. Last cited Sep 2025. Every month

Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.

What these words mean5
Inspection (survey)
A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
Deficiency, citation, violation
What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
Quality rating
Many states rate child care in a quality rating system that goes past the licensing rules, such as Texas Rising Star or Kentucky All STARS. Taking part is often voluntary, so a program with no rating hasn’t been rated low. Source: Each state’s quality rating system.
Licence status
Whether the state’s licence lets the place operate now, in the state’s own words: licensed, on probation (allowed to keep operating on conditions, after problems), provisional, pending or expired. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
Capacity
The most people the licence or certification lets the place care for at once: residents, children, beds or apartments, as the state counts them. It isn’t how many are there now. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.

What did inspectors find?

6 DCDEE visits in the last three years, the latest on May 15, 2026.

7 violations cited in the last three years, 7 of them marked corrected.

Source:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.

When those violations happened

7 violations in 4 months of the last 36. Last cited Sep 2025. The last 3 years, to Nov 3, 2026.

7 violations by month over the last 3 years. Each cell is one month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2023 Dec
2024 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2026 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNov

Hover or focus a month to read it.

No visit on record Visited, nothing cited A stronger orange is more serious, on its source’s own levels, read onto four bands: from the least serious it publishes to the most
Source:

Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.

Each violation, in its source’s words

Grouped by visit, newest first, with the level its source gave it.

Source:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.

Sep 23, 2025: unannounced3 violations

  • A child care operator did not notify the Division of any new child care providers, as defined in G.S.

    “110-90.2(a)(2), who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. This facility has not completed the ABCMS portal roster.”

    Rule A child care operator did not notify the Division of any new child care providers, as defined in G.S.. Correction date, as North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) recorded it: Oct 3, 2025. Correction verified: by a letter from the provider.

  • The person identified as the person or alternate person responsible for carrying out the emergency medical care plan was not on the premises at all times and/or did not accompany children for off premise activities.

    “The Emergency Medical Care Plan that was posted was not current.”

    Rule The person identified as the person or alternate person responsible for carrying out the emergency medical care plan was not on the premises at all times and/or did not accompany children for off premise activities.. Correction date, as North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) recorded it: Oct 3, 2025. Correction verified: by a letter from the provider.

  • The trained staff did not review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changed to ensure all information was current.

    “The Emergency Preparedness and Response plan was not current and was dated 6/5/24.”

    Rule The trained staff did not review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changed to ensure all information was current.. Correction date, as North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) recorded it: Oct 3, 2025. Correction verified: by a letter from the provider.

May 22, 2025: unannounced1 violation

  • Staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience.

    “A staff member hired on 4/5/23 that is required to complete ten (10) hours of on-going training had documentation of completing only two (2) hours.”

    Rule Staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience.. Correction date, as North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) recorded it: May 27, 2025. Correction verified: by a letter from the provider.

Mar 27, 2025: unannounced1 violation

  • Potentially hazardous items including but not limited to power tools, nails, chemicals, propane stoves, lawn mowers, gasoline, or kerosene were not stored in locked areas, removed from the premises, or made inaccessible to children.

    “In space #1, there was a container of bulk Members Mark Foaming Antibacterial Hand Soap that contained a warning of “Keep out of Reach of Children” and additional warnings that were on a shelf that was below 5 ft and was accessible to children.”

    Rule Potentially hazardous items including but not limited to power tools, nails, chemicals, propane stoves, lawn mowers, gasoline, or kerosene were not stored in locked areas, removed from the premises, or made inaccessible to children.. Corrected during the inspection.

Jun 5, 2024: unannounced2 violations

  • Center did not maintain a record of daily attendance.

    “Daily attendance was not current for today.”

    Rule Center did not maintain a record of daily attendance.. Corrected during the inspection.

  • Medication authorization, giving the caregiver standing authorization did not meet the specifications in rule.

    “1 medication permission to administer form that provides standing orders to administer Diastat did not identify the date that the standing order expires.”

    Rule Medication authorization, giving the caregiver standing authorization did not meet the specifications in rule.. Correction date, as North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) recorded it: Jun 12, 2024. Correction verified: by a letter from the provider.

All 6 visits on record
Visits on record
DateVisitWhat the record says
May 15, 2026Unannounced visitNo violations cited
Sep 23, 2025Unannounced visit3 violations cited
May 22, 2025Unannounced visit1 violation cited
Mar 27, 2025Unannounced visit1 violation cited
Jun 5, 2024Unannounced visit2 violations cited
Feb 15, 2024Unannounced visitNo violations cited

Is it licensed?

  • Child Care Center, holding a Four Star Center License since Mar 1, 2019.
  • Licensed for 29 children, ages 0 through 12.
  • Enrolled in North Carolina’s subsidized child care program.
  • North Carolina’s licence number: 18000482.
Source:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.

Has North Carolina acted against it?

  • DCDEE says it has taken no action against this facility, for its current licence and location, in the last three years.
Source:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.

Who does the caring?

  • North Carolina’s page gives a staff-to-child ratio policy as the provider reports it, unverified by DCDEE, so it isn’t shown.

Who owns it?

  • Owner, as North Carolina lists it: Little Stars Child Development Center, LLC.
Source:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.

How is it rated?

  • Star Rated License: 4 stars of five.
Source:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.

How does it compare nearby?

  • Among 87 child care providers in Catawba County, the middle value for violations cited in the last three years was 7; this one had 7.
Source:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.

11 of the 87 in Catawba County, as the source lists them, same ZIP code first
PlaceViolations cited in the last three years
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Preschool8
Hickory Foundation YMCA Child Development Center27
Oakwood Elementary Pre-K11
Viewmont Elementary Pre-K6
Legrande Learning Center27
Little Stars Child Development Center This child care provider7
Webb Murray Pre-K5
Quest at Snow Creek Elementary4
Quest at Clyde Campbell Elementary3
Quest at Webb A. Murray Elementary3
Viewmont Baptist Church Tree of Learning16
Shining Stars0

What the record doesn’t say

  • North Carolina doesn’t show a visit summary tied to an open child maltreatment investigation while the case is active, and shows an administrative action only after its 30-day appeal period, without saying what it was.
  • DCDEE’s descriptions of violations are shown in its own words; a description that names or may name a person isn’t shown. Visit summaries, the consultants’ full reports, aren’t read.
  • North Carolina’s page lists the provider’s own features (transport, ratios) as furnished by the provider and unverified by DCDEE, so they aren’t shown.

Sources

If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). North Carolina’s own record is on ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.

Source:

This copy of the record was made on Nov 3, 2026.

From the provider

The public record above comes first. Anything the provider adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.

Replies

None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the provider will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.

Paid listing

None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the provider”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.

From the homeNone yet. Replies and paid listings aren’t open, and when they open they will sit here, below the record.

1 of 4

Every fact names its source.

Who published it, when, and how often it changes sit beside each fact, with a link to the agency’s own file.

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