Helping Hands Child Care
A licensed child care center in Alton, Texas 78573
305 N Glasscock Blvd, Alton, Texas 78573. (956) 583-0668.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. Texas’s own record is on its child care search.
The short answer
Record last released by Texas Workforce Commission on Nov 2, 2026.
- 12 deficiencies cited in the last three years Middle in Hidalgo County: 3
- 1 rated High by Texas, its most serious level (needs attention)
- 7 inspections on record
- 4-Star Texas Rising Star rating
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.
- Texas’s risk levels
- Texas gives each child care deficiency a risk level, by how likely it is to harm a child: Low, Medium Low, Medium, Medium High or High. High is its most serious. Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation.
- 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?
12 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 479 child care providers in Hidalgo County had 3.
7 inspections on record. The latest, on Jun 8, 2026: no violation found.
Rated High by Texas: Required Equipment in Vehicles - Emergency Medical Information, at the inspection on May 21, 2026
Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data) and inspections and investigations. Released Oct 31, 2026. Updated daily.
When those deficiencies happened
12 deficiencies in 3 months of the last 36. Last cited May 2026. Most serious: High. The last 3 years, to Nov 2, 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 deficiency, in Texas’s words
Grouped by visit, newest first, with the risk level Texas gave it, from Low to High.
Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data). Released Oct 31, 2026. Updated daily.
May 21, 2026: inspection7 deficiencies
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Required Equipment in Vehicles - Emergency Medical Information
“There was no emergency medical transport and treatment authorization forms for 3 of 4 children being transported. Note: This was CORRECTED during the inspection as the required information was obtained for each child and placed in the transportation vehicle binder.”
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Child/Caregiver Ratio - 18 Months Difference in Age
“Two caregivers were caring for 7 children of varying ages including infants in a toddler room during the naptime. The children combined were five toddler children and two infants. There was more than 18 month difference between the youngest child and oldest child in the group. The youngest child was 7 months of age and the oldest child was 34 months of age.”
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Food Service and Preparation Requirement - Cover All Stored Food
“A bowl with fruit was observed uncovered in the refrigerator. Note: This was addressed during inspection and the fruit was removed from the bowl and stored in a sealed plastic bag.”
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Diapering Procedures-Soiled Diapers Kept in a Sanitary Manner
“A soiled diaper was observed in an uncovered trash can in a children restroom. This posed a hazard as the soiled diaper was accessible to children in care.”
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Types of Vehicles Used to Transport Children - Be Maintained Safely
“The transportation vehicle’s passengers side door did not open from the outside only from the inside of the vehicle.”
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Written Activity Plan - Group Name and Dates
“The activity plan posted in the pre-k room was not current. The date on the activity plan was for the week of 5/11-15/2026. Note:This was CORRECTED during the inspection as the current activity plan was posted.”
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Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Employees’ Attendance
“There were no time sheets available for review for both directors.”
Jun 2, 2025: inspection2 deficiencies
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Safety - Areas Free From Hazards
The inspectors’ words, 91 words
“A can of lysol disinfectant spray and plastic trash bags were observed under a sink in the toddler room. This posed a safety hazard as the door to the cabinet did not have a safety latch and items were accessivle to children. A small wasp nest and wasps were observed in the toddler playground. Note: This was CORRECTED during the inspection as the disinfectant spray, and plastic bags were removed from under the sink and stored in an area out of children’s reach. The wasp nest was also removed during inspection.”
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Children’s Records - Immunizations
“3 of 4 children’s immunization records reviewed were not current.”
Jun 26, 2024: inspection3 deficiencies
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Annual Sanitation Inspection
“Last Health / Sanitation inspection was conducted on 05/04/2023.”
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Active Play Surfacing In Use Zones - Loose Fill or Unitary Surfacing
“Operation has a caterpillar Climb-N-Crawl structure in the toddler’s playground, the structure is installed directly onto artificial grass turf.”
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Individual Cot, Bed, or Mat for Each Walking Child Through 4 Years of Age
“Four children under 4 years old did not have cot/mat to sleep on.”
6 deficiencies older than three years
Aug 1, 2023: inspection2 deficiencies
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Training Requirements for Employees, Caregivers, and Directors - Transportation training
“Six staff training records were reviewed. One staff member last completed transportation on 12/2020.”
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Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Fire Inspection Report, Including Written Approval for Above/Below Ground Level Care
“Report for fire inspection conducted 12/30/2022 was not available for review at the time of inspection.”
Aug 23, 2022: inspection4 deficiencies
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Infant Care Area Furnishings and Equipment - Crib for Each Non-walking Infant Younger Than 12 Months of Age
“Four non-walking infants under the age of 12 were present and there are only three napping play-yards at operation.”
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Safety Requirements for Play Yards - Snug Fitting Sheets
“Napping play-yards have 1-4 in gaps between mat and play-yard edge.”
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Children’s Records - Immunizations
“One out of six children’s records reviewed is missing immunization records.”
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Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Sanitation Inspection Report
“Most recent sanitation report was not available for review at the time of inspection.”
All 7 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 2026 | Inspection | No violation found |
| May 21, 2026 | Inspection | 7 deficiencies cited |
| Jun 2, 2025 | Inspection | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Jul 23, 2024 | Inspection | No violation found |
| Jun 26, 2024 | Inspection | 3 deficiencies cited |
| Aug 1, 2023 | Inspection | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Aug 23, 2022 | Inspection | 4 deficiencies cited |
Is it licensed?
- Licensed Center, permit issued Aug 15, 2013.
- Licensed for ages: Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School.
- Capacity: 43 children.
Texas HHSC, child care operations. Released Oct 31, 2026. Updated daily.
Has Texas acted against it?
- No corrective or adverse action by Texas on record.
- 0 reports to the state on record; Texas doesn’t publish whether they were A complaint allegation the state investigated and found true: the evidence showed it more likely than not happened. Inconclusive means the evidence couldn’t show it either way. Neither inconclusive nor unsubstantiated proves it didn’t happen. Source: California Department of Social Services, complaint findings; each state’s licensing agency..
Texas HHSC, child care operations and inspections and investigations. Released Oct 31, 2026. Updated daily.
Who does the caring?
- Texas doesn’t publish staffing levels for individual providers. State rules set staff-to-child ratios by age.
Who owns it?
- Texas’s open data doesn’t list owners.
How is it rated?
- Texas Rising Star: 4-Star (the highest of three levels).
Texas Workforce Commission, subsidy providers and Texas Rising Star. Released Nov 2, 2026. Updated daily.
How does it compare nearby?
- Among 479 child care providers in Hidalgo County, the middle value for deficiencies cited in the last three years was 3; this one had 12.
Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data). Released Oct 31, 2026. Updated daily.
| Place | Deficiencies, 3 years |
|---|---|
| Bright Minds Learning Center | 5 |
| Helping Hands Child Care This child care provider | 12 |
| Einstein’s Academy, LLC | 15 |
| Sunrise Learning Academy | 4 |
| Handprints Playschool | 7 |
| Little Harvard Educational Center Preschool and Day Care | 12 |
| Umos Mshs Alton Center | 7 |
| His Little Ones Preschool & Daycare,llc | 9 |
| Future Leaders Daycare and Learning Center | 29 |
| Little Explorers Academy & Daycare 2 | 14 |
| Little Diamondbacks Learning Center LLC | 7 |
| Salinas Elementary Head Start Campus | 5 |
What the record doesn’t say
- Texas doesn’t publish whether a complaint was substantiated.
- Texas rates some paperwork slips as High risk, so read what was actually cited.
- Texas doesn’t publish staffing levels or owners for individual providers.
Sources
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Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child care operations (bc5r-88dy).
Released Oct 31, 2026 and checked Nov 2, 2026. Updated daily. Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication).
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Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Inspections and investigations (m5q4-3y3d).
Released Oct 31, 2026 and checked Nov 2, 2026. Updated daily. Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication).
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Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Deficiencies (non-compliance data) (tqgd-mf4x).
Released Oct 31, 2026 and checked Nov 2, 2026. Updated daily. Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication).
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Texas Workforce Commission, Subsidy providers and Texas Rising Star.
Released Nov 2, 2026 and checked Nov 2, 2026. Updated daily. No licence stated.
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: Texas HHSC or Texas Workforce Commission. Texas’s own record is on its child care search. 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 2, 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
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