Creative Schools of Apex
A child care center in Apex, North Carolina 27502
1201 Old Raleigh Rd, Apex, North Carolina 27502. (919) 355-4944.
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
- 10 violations in the last three years
- May 72026 the latest visit on record
- 135 children, its licensed capacity
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?
8 DCDEE visits in the last three years, the latest on May 7, 2026.
10 violations cited in the last three years, 10 of them marked corrected.
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
10 violations in 3 months of the last 36. Last cited Jun 2025. The last 3 years, to Nov 3, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dec | |||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
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.
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.
Jun 19, 2025: unannounced6 violations
-
A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference.
“The activity plan posted in space #5 was dated 6/3/25.”
-
All staff did not review the center’s EPR Plan during orientation and/or on an annual basis with the trained staff.
“Documentation of the review was not maintained on file. Two staff files did not have documentation for an annual review.”
-
Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child’s home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child.
“In space #1 and space #2 bottles were not dated.”
-
Medication authorization, giving the caregiver standing authorization did not meet the specifications in rule.
“An authorization form for Auvi-o expired on 6/3/24.”
-
The EMC plan was not reviewed with all staff annually and whenever the plan was revised.
“Two staff files did not have documentation for an annual review.”
-
The written feeding plan was not modified as the child’s needs changed.
“One child’s feeding schedule was not modified to meet the current meal plan.”
Jul 17, 2024: unannounced3 violations
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All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean, free of visible fungal growth, and in good repair.
“In space #6 there were several areas of peeling paint throughout the classroom.”
-
Parent’s medication authorization did not include required information.
“A container of Aquaphor in space #4 did not have the required information listed.”
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Plastic bags, materials that could be torn apart and toy parts small enough to be swallowed were accessible to children under three years of age.
“Latex gloves was accessible to children in space #5 and #6.”
Feb 7, 2024: unannounced1 violation
-
All corrosive agents, pesticides, bleaches, detergents, cleansers, polishes, any product which is under pressure in an aerosol dispenser, and any substance which may be hazardous to a child if ingested, inhaled, or handled were not stored in a locked room or cabinet.
“The laundry room was unlocked during today’s visit.”
All 8 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2026 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Dec 3, 2025 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Jun 19, 2025 | Unannounced visit | 6 violations cited |
| Feb 11, 2025 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Jul 17, 2024 | Unannounced visit | 3 violations cited |
| May 14, 2024 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Feb 21, 2024 | Announced visit | No violations cited |
| Feb 7, 2024 | Unannounced visit | 1 violation cited |
Is it licensed?
- Child Care Center, holding a Five Star Center License since Mar 26, 2019.
- Licensed for 135 children, ages 0 through 12.
- Enrolled in North Carolina’s subsidized child care program.
- North Carolina’s licence number: 92003485.
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.
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: Creative Schools, Inc..
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: 5 stars of five.
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 470 child care providers in Wake County, the middle value for violations cited in the last three years was 5; this one had 10.
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.
| Place | Violations cited in the last three years |
|---|---|
| Bright Horizons Children’s Ctr’s at Shepherd’s VI | 19 |
| Karen’s Kids Home Child Care | 0 |
| The Goddard School of Apex | 19 |
| Apex Peak Schools, Inc. | 8 |
| Bright Start Child Care LLC | 4 |
| Creative Schools of Apex This child care provider | 10 |
| The Growing Years Learning Center - Apex | 20 |
| Everbrook Academy | 15 |
| Children’s Lighthouse of Apex | 16 |
| Kindercare Education | 39 |
| Apex Friendship Elementary | 0 |
| The Learning Experience Apex | 20 |
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
-
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. nc.gov terms: copying and distribution for non-commercial use, without alteration, citing the source. Shown free and never sold; DCDEE’s own words are quoted.
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.
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.