Smart Kids Daycare & Learning Center
A licensed child care center in McAllen, Texas 78504
5509 N Ware Rd, McAllen, Texas 78504. (956) 213-8403.
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.
- 7 deficiencies cited in the last three years Middle in Hidalgo County: 3
- 3 rated High by Texas, its most serious level (needs attention)
- 11 inspections on record
- Not rated 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?
7 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 479 child care providers in Hidalgo County had 3.
11 inspections on record. The latest, on Jun 24, 2026: no violation found.
Rated High by Texas: AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operation, at the report to the state on Feb 17, 2026
Rated High by Texas: Driver Has Current Driver’s License, at the report to the state on Feb 17, 2026
Rated High by Texas: Required Equipment in Vehicles - Fire Extinguisher, at the inspection on Aug 21, 2024
Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data) and inspections and investigations. Released Oct 31, 2026. Updated daily.
When those deficiencies happened
7 deficiencies in 3 months of the last 36. Last cited Feb 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.
Feb 17, 2026: report to the state2 deficiencies
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AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operation
“The center allowed an individual to be present at the operation prior to receiving the notification of the individual’s background check eligibility.”
-
Driver Has Current Driver’s License
“Transportation was conducted by an employee that does not have a current drivers license.”
Aug 1, 2025: inspection3 deficiencies
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Training Requirements for Employees, Caregivers, and Directors - Pediatric First Aid with Rescue Breathing
“2 out of 3 employees records reviewed are missing up to date First Aid and CPR certification.”
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Director Annual Training - Additional required topics
“Director is missing the following trainings: 1) SIDS/Brain Development/SBS, Hazardous materials, allergies, medication, Emergency preparedness, Building safety, Communicable diseases, Transportation.”
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Required Personnel Records
“2 out of 5 employee records were not avaiable for review.”
Aug 21, 2024: inspection2 deficiencies
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Required Equipment in Vehicles - Fire Extinguisher
“The two transportation vehicles did not have a fire extinguisher.”
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Training Requirements for Employees, Caregivers, and Directors - Transportation training
“The three caregiver in charge of transportation did not have a current transportation training.”
11 deficiencies older than three years
Sep 12, 2023: inspection1 deficiency
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Training Requirements for Employees, Caregivers, and Directors - Pre-Service Training
“Two caregivers did not have the 24 hours of Preservice trainings.”
Aug 30, 2023: inspection5 deficiencies
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Safety Requirements for Play Yards - Snug Fitting, Firm, Flat Mattress Designed for Use in Play Yard and No Extra Pads
“A 3-month-old infant was asleep on a pillow in the play yard.”
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Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment
“There were two rooms with loose, cracked, and water-stained ceiling tiles. A handwashing handle in the restroom was loose.”
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Written Feeding Instructions - Signed and Dated by Parent or Health-Care Professional
“There was no current infant feeding instructions for two infants.”
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Cots, Beds, Mats Labeled With Child’s Name
“Two mats used by the children during naptime were observed with torn sections.”
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Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Personnel and Training Records
“Training records were not available for review.”
Sep 7, 2022: inspection5 deficiencies
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Transportation Safety Training -Director and Employee Complete 2 Hours Annually
“Director and caregiver in charge of transportation did not have a current transportation training.”
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Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment
“The vent in the classroom used by the children was observed with dust and debris. The infant room was observed with spiderwebs, and the inside of the ceiling cover panel was observed with numerous dead insects. There was a water hose on the floor at the outdoor play area which is a tripping hazard for the children. Note: The waterhose was removed during the inspection.”
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Written Feeding Instructions - Signed and Dated by Parent or Health-Care Professional
“There was no infant feeding instructions for a 6 month old infant in care.”
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Children’s Records - Admission Information
“One child’s record was missing the immunization record. One child’s record did not have the school’s information.”
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Education Outside of U.S.
“A foreign education document for a caregiver was not translated to English.”
All 12 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2026 | Inspection | No violation found |
| Feb 27, 2026 | Inspection | No violation found |
| Feb 19, 2026 | Inspection | No violation found |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Report to the state | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Aug 19, 2025 | Inspection | No violation found |
| Aug 1, 2025 | Inspection | 3 deficiencies cited |
| Aug 21, 2024 | Inspection | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Inspection | No violation found |
| Sep 12, 2023 | Inspection | 1 deficiency cited |
| Aug 30, 2023 | Inspection | 5 deficiencies cited |
| Sep 19, 2022 | Inspection | No violation found |
| Sep 7, 2022 | Inspection | 5 deficiencies cited |
Is it licensed?
- Licensed Center, permit issued Aug 15, 2014.
- Accepts state child care subsidies.
- Licensed for ages: Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School.
- Capacity: 46 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.
- 1 report 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?
- Not rated in Texas Rising Star.
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 7.
Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data). Released Oct 31, 2026. Updated daily.
| Place | Deficiencies, 3 years |
|---|---|
| Little Paradise Academy, LLC | 3 |
| Kids Being Kids Academy | 8 |
| Smart Kids Daycare & Learning Center This child care provider | 7 |
| Val-Ado, Inc. DBA Playhouse 3 Learning & Development | 10 |
| Instituto Lumen, LLC | 11 |
| Adventureland Academy LLC | 7 |
| Prestige Learning Center Nolana | 8 |
| New Horizons Learning Academy | 20 |
| Innovative Child Development Center | 1 |
| Little Valley Scholars Academy | 5 |
| Mcallen Learning Center & Daycare LLC | 11 |
| The Little Classroom LLC | 3 |
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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