First Prep Academy

A licensed child care center in Katy, Texas 77449

18855 W Little York Rd Ste 300, Katy, Texas 77449. (281) 861-5224.

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 HHSC on Nov 5, 2026.

9 deficiencies cited in the last three years Middle in Harris County: 4
1 rated High by Texas, its most serious level (needs attention)
14 inspections on record
3-Star Texas Rising Star rating

The last 24 months 9 deficiencies in 2 months of the last 36. Last cited Dec 2025. Most serious: High. 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.
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?

9 deficiencies cited in the last three years

The middle of the 2,139 child care providers in Harris County had 4.

14 inspections on record. The latest, on Jan 13, 2026: no violation found.

Rated High by Texas: Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months, at the inspection on Dec 11, 2025

Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data) and inspections and investigations. Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

When those deficiencies happened

9 deficiencies in 2 months of the last 36. Last cited Dec 2025. Most serious: High. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.

9 deficiencies by month over the last 3 years. Each cell is one month.
	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.

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

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 Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

Dec 11, 2025: inspection2 deficiencies

Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months

“The fire marshal inspection report expired on July 30, 2025.”

Rule 746.5101(a). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jan 16, 2026. Correction verified: Jan 20, 2026.
Types of Vehicles Used to Transport Children - Be Maintained Safely

“The van’s sticker had expired on 07/2025.”

Rule 746.5603(c). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jan 14, 2026. Correction verified: Jan 5, 2026.

Dec 10, 2025: report to the state2 deficiencies

Child Passenger Safety Seat System - Must Use for Each Child in When Transporting and be Properly Installed

“Based on information obtained during the investigation, a child was not in a booster seat during transportation.”

Rule 746.5607(a). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jan 14, 2026. Correction verified: Jan 12, 2026.
Director Responsibilities - Employees Comply with Standards

“Based on the investigation and information obtained, the director allowed the caregiver to transport a child without a car seat.”

Rule 746.1003(2). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jan 14, 2026. Correction verified: Jan 12, 2026.

Oct 4, 2024: inspection5 deficiencies

Training Requirements for Employees, Caregivers, and Directors - Transportation training

“The certificate on file indicated that the last time the director obtained transportation training was on 1017/2022.”

Rule 746.1301(a)(7)(A). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 11, 2024. Correction verified: Oct 10, 2024.
Director Annual Training - Caring for children under 24 months

“The certificate on file indicated that the last time the director obtained transportation training was on 1017/2022.”

Rule 746.1311(d). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 11, 2024. Correction verified: Oct 10, 2024.
Safety Requirements for Cribs - Snug Fitting, Firm, Flat Mattress Designed for Use in Crib

“Four cribs had an extra mattress/padding in them. The director removed the extra supplemented mattress/padding.”

Rule 746.2409(a)(1). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Corrected during the inspection. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 4, 2024.
Written Operational Policies - Support inclusive services

“The operational policies lacked a policy for support of inclusive services for children with special needs.”

Rule 746.501(a)(30). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 11, 2024. Correction verified: Oct 10, 2024.
Children’s Records - Immunizations

“One child’s record lacked the updated immunization record for the child’s current age.”

Rule 746.603(a)(4). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 18, 2024. Correction verified: Oct 11, 2024.

32 deficiencies older than three years

Oct 26, 2023: inspection8 deficiencies

Additional Minimum Qualifications for Caregivers - HS Diploma, Equivalent, Certification of Completion

“Two caregivers did not have documentation of the minimum qualifications on file.”

Rule 746.1107(2). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Dec 8, 2023. Correction verified: Dec 5, 2023.
Documented Annual Training- Required Content

“The documented annual training hours/certificates provided for review did not include training on the following required topics in Health and Safety for one caregiver. 1. emergency preparedness and 3. administering medication.”

Rule 746.1309(e). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Dec 8, 2023. Correction verified: Nov 29, 2023.
Director Annual Training - Additional required topics

“The documented annual training hours/certificates provided for review did not include training on the following required topics in Health and Safety for the director. 1. emergency preparedness 2. communicable diseases to include immunizations 3. administering medication and 4. preventing and responding to emergencies due to food or an allergic reaction.”

Rule 746.1311(e). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Dec 8, 2023. Correction verified: Nov 29, 2023.
Required Personnel Records-signed dated statement that employee received child care center’s operational policies

“One personnel’s file lacked the employee statement regarding the center policies.”

Rule 746.901(6)(A). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Dec 8, 2023. Correction verified: Dec 7, 2023.
Posting Requirements - List entitled “Current Employees”--sized at least 81/2 X 11 inches, printed legibly, include employee first and last name

“The posted employee list was not a list of the current employees.”

Rule 746.401(9). Medium Low, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Nov 2, 2023. Correction verified: Nov 28, 2023.
Required Personnel Records - Dates of Employment

“Three personnel files did not have the start of employment date on file.”

Rule 746.901(1). Medium Low, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Dec 8, 2023. Correction verified: Dec 6, 2023.
Required Personnel Records - Required Affidavit

“Two personnel staff lacked the notarized affidavit in file.”

Rule 746.901(4). Medium Low, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Dec 8, 2023. Correction verified: Dec 5, 2023.
Education Outside of U.S.

“One caregivers file lacked the translation of the educational document in file.”

Rule 746.1045. Low, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Dec 15, 2023. Correction verified: Dec 13, 2023.

May 22, 2023: inspection3 deficiencies

Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months

“The fire inspection was last conducted on 03/10/2022. The annual fire inspection had not been conducted. The director has initiated the process to have the fire inspection conducted. Per the director, there are scheduling issues with fie marshal’s office.”

Rule 746.5101(a). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jun 5, 2023. Correction verified: May 24, 2023.
Children’s Records - Health Statement

“One child’s record lacked the health care statement from the health care provider.”

Rule 746.603(a)(3). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: May 26, 2023. Correction verified: May 23, 2023.
Children’s Records - Immunizations

“One child’s records lacked the updated immunization record for their age on file.”

Rule 746.603(a)(4). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: May 26, 2023. Correction verified: May 22, 2023.

Apr 27, 2023: inspection6 deficiencies

Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months

“The fire inspection was last conducted on 03/10/2022. The annual fire inspection had not been conducted.”

Rule 746.5101(a). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: May 1, 2023. Correction verified: May 22, 2023.
Required Admission Information - Release Information

“One child’s records did not have the release information filled out.”

Rule 746.605(7). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Apr 28, 2023. Correction verified: May 22, 2023.
Child/ Caregiver Ratio - 13 or More Children

“There were 6 children in care in the infant classroom. The child/caregiver ratio was not met in the infant classroom. The specified age group was 12 months. The child/caregiver ratio was over by 2 children.”

Rule 746.1601. Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: May 2, 2023. Correction verified: May 22, 2023.
Required Admission Information - Emergency Contact

“One child’s records did not have an emergency contact information.”

Rule 746.605(6). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: May 2, 2023. Correction verified: May 22, 2023.
Children’s Records - Health Statement

“One child’s record lacked the health care statement from the health care provider.”

Rule 746.603(a)(3). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: May 11, 2023. Correction verified: May 22, 2023.
Children’s Records - Immunizations

“Two children’s records lacked the updated immunization record for their age on file.”

Rule 746.603(a)(4). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: May 11, 2023. Correction verified: May 22, 2023.

Jan 30, 2023: assessment1 deficiency

Report Number of Employees

“The operation did not submit the number of employees who left employment by the due date and extended due date due to portal issues.”

Rule 746.303(b). Medium Low, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jan 30, 2023. Correction verified: Jan 30, 2023.

Sep 23, 2022: inspection1 deficiency

Children’s Records - Immunizations

“One child’s record did not have the required exemption form. Per the director, the parent has submitted the request to obtain an exemption.”

Rule 746.603(a)(4). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 3, 2022. Correction verified: Oct 4, 2022.

Jul 29, 2022: inspection7 deficiencies

Required Admission Information - Emergency Medical Authorization

“One child’s admission form did not have the emergency care authorization information filled out.”

Rule 746.605(12). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Aug 2, 2022. Correction verified: Jul 29, 2022.
Required Admission Information - Release Information

“One child’s records did not have the release information filled out.”

Rule 746.605(7). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Aug 2, 2022. Correction verified: Jul 29, 2022.
Child/ Caregiver Ratio - 13 or More Children

“The caregiver in the infant classroom had 5 children in care when the inspector walked into the classroom. The specified age group (SAG) was 11 months. The director took a 2-year-old child to another classroom. The child/caregiver ratio was not met with SAG of 11 months. It was over by one child.”

Rule 746.1601. Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jul 29, 2022. Correction verified: Aug 10, 2022.
Screen Time Activities - Age-appropriate

“The children were watching Black Panther. It is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.”

Rule 746.2207(c)(2). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Aug 5, 2022. Correction verified: Aug 10, 2022.
Children’s Records - Health Statement

“One child’s file did not have the healthcare statement filled out by the parent.”

Rule 746.603(a)(3). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Aug 2, 2022. Correction verified: Jul 29, 2022.
Children’s Records - Immunizations

“Two children’s records did not have the immunization record on file.”

Rule 746.603(a)(4). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 22, 2022. Correction verified: Sep 23, 2022.
Required Admission Information - School Information for School-age Child

“One child’s admission form did not have the school age information filled out.”

Rule 746.605(14). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Aug 2, 2022. Correction verified: Jul 29, 2022.

Jun 17, 2022: inspection2 deficiencies

AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operation

“A caregiver was in direct care of a child without an active background check.”

Rule 745.641. High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jun 17, 2022. Correction verified: Jun 23, 2022.
Written Feeding Instructions - Signed and Dated by Parent or Health-Care Professional

“There were no written infant instructiions for an infant in care.”

Rule 746.2421(a). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jun 21, 2022. Correction verified: Jun 29, 2022.

Apr 7, 2022: inspection4 deficiencies

Policies Comply with Rules

“The operational policies lacked 746.501 (a)(8, 9, 11, 15, , 28) (b).”

Rule 746.201(1). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Apr 14, 2022. Correction verified: Apr 25, 2022.
Required Equipment in Vehicles - Fire Extinguisher

“The vehicle did not have a fire extinguisher.”

Rule 746.5617(a)(5). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Apr 14, 2022. Correction verified: Apr 18, 2022.
Children’s Products- Review list and Remove unsafe products

“The review of the children’s products on the Consumer Product Safety Commission was not completed.”

Rule 746.4135(a). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Apr 14, 2022. Correction verified: Apr 12, 2022.
Share Outdoor Activity Space With Written Plan

“There was no written plan for the shared outdoor activity space with another program.”

Rule 746.4315(a). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Apr 14, 2022. Correction verified: Apr 25, 2022.

All 16 visits on record

Inspections, investigations and reports to the state
Date	Visit	What the record says
Jan 13, 2026	Inspection	No violation found
Dec 11, 2025	Inspection	2 deficiencies cited
Dec 10, 2025	Report to the state	2 deficiencies cited
Jan 2, 2025	Inspection	No violation found
Oct 21, 2024	Inspection	No violation found
Oct 4, 2024	Inspection	5 deficiencies cited
Oct 26, 2023	Inspection	8 deficiencies cited
May 22, 2023	Inspection	3 deficiencies cited
Apr 27, 2023	Inspection	6 deficiencies cited
Jan 30, 2023	Assessment	1 deficiency cited
Sep 23, 2022	Inspection	1 deficiency cited
Aug 10, 2022	Inspection	No violation found
Jul 29, 2022	Inspection	7 deficiencies cited
Jun 17, 2022	Inspection	2 deficiencies cited
Apr 25, 2022	Inspection	No violation found
Apr 7, 2022	Inspection	4 deficiencies cited

Is it licensed?

Licensed Center, permit issued Oct 7, 2022.
Its permit has conditions.
Accepts state child care subsidies.
Licensed for ages: Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School.
Capacity: 79 children.

Texas HHSC, child care operations. Released Nov 5, 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 .

Texas HHSC, child care operations and inspections and investigations. Released Nov 5, 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: 3-Star (the middle of three levels).

Texas Workforce Commission, subsidy providers and Texas Rising Star. Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

How does it compare nearby?

Among 2139 child care providers in Harris County, the middle value for deficiencies cited in the last three years was 4; this one had 9.

Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data). Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

12 of the 2,139 in Harris County, as the source lists them, same ZIP code first
Place	Deficiencies, 3 years
First Prep Academy This child care provider	9
Texas Kids Learning Center	4
Mary Morales Child Care Home	7
Ha Le	0
Bertha Valdes	3
Holy Covenant Cdc	0
Wendy Mazariego	3
Kathleen Dufour	0
Kinder Shine Academy	12
Texas Kids Childcare	19
Rayshell Butler	Not given
Golbow Elementary YMCA	0
Svitlana Zievakina	Not given

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

Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child care operations (bc5r-88dy).

Released Nov 5, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily. Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication).
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Inspections and investigations (m5q4-3y3d).

Released Nov 5, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily. Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication).
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Deficiencies (non-compliance data) (tqgd-mf4x).

Released Nov 5, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily. Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication).
Texas Workforce Commission, Subsidy providers and Texas Rising Star.

Released Nov 5, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 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 5, 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.