Licensed child care center · public record
Essential Steps
Rockwall, Texas. The state’s inspection record for this operation, from Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation, in plain English.
7 state inspections, last 2 years
16 deficiencies on the state’s summary
11 high or medium-high risk
May 8, 2026 most recent inspection
The operation
- Type
- Licensed child care center
- State permit
- Full Permit, issued June 18, 1996
- Capacity
- 63 children
- Ages served
- Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School
- Hours
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri · 06:30 AM-06:30 PM
- Accepts child care subsidies
- Yes
- Conditions on the permit
- No
- Corrective action listed
- No
- Adverse action listed
- No
- Temporarily closed
- No
- State operation number
- 520042
Where
305 E Rusk St
Rockwall, TX 75087
Deficiencies by risk level
The state’s own summary counts for this operation, as published in the HHSC operations file.
Citations on the record
Each standard the state found not met, newest first, with its risk level and when it was corrected.
| Inspection | Risk | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| April 10, 2026 | Medium High | 746.3701 - Safety - Areas Free From Hazards State’s note: “Playground hazard: Children were observed playing on a tree that appeared to damaged from severe weather.” |
| April 10, 2026 | Medium High | 746.4907(d) - Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Proper Depth Maintained State’s note: “The younger playground did not have the required six inches of surfacing (pea gravel).” |
| April 10, 2026 | Low | 746.1105(3) - Minimum Qualifications Employees and Caregivers - Affidavit (Form 2985) State’s note: “One staff member did not have the required notorized affidavit.” |
| April 10, 2026 | Medium High | 746.5607(b) - Child Passenger Safety Seat System - Not expired or damaged in accident State’s note: “Two booster seats used to transport children were expired.” |
| December 4, 2025 | Medium | 746.2421(a) - Written Feeding Instructions - Signed and Dated by Parent or Health-Care Professional State’s note: “1 child observed in the infant classroom during the inspection did not have updated infant feeding instructions signed by parent.” |
| December 4, 2025 | Medium High | 746.4751(c) - Maintenance Procedures for Active Play - Hazards Removed or Repaired State’s note: “The wheels on the Merry go cycle were broken and needed to be repaired.” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium High | 746.2419(6) - Requirements for Feeding Infants - Label Bottles/Cups State’s note: “Bottle were missing labels and the Director corrected it by writing the child's name on their bottles” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium High | 746.4751(c) - Maintenance Procedures for Active Play - Hazards Removed or Repaired State’s note: “The wheels on the Merry go cycle were broken and needed to be repaired.” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium High | 746.4905 - Acceptable Loose-fill Surfacing State’s note: “The loose-fill located on the playground measured less than one inch.” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium | 746.801(8) - Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Playground Maintenance Records State’s note: “The operation did not have a building and ground checklist available for review.” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium | 746.2421(a) - Written Feeding Instructions - Signed and Dated by Parent or Health-Care Professional State’s note: “All infants observed in the infant classroom during the inspection did not have updated infant feeding instructions.” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium High | 746.5101(b) - Annual Fire Inspection - Conducted by Fire Marshal State’s note: “The operation does not have an updated fire inspection on file. The Director called the fire marshal and scheduled for Tuesday11-25-2025 and will provide documentation.” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium High | 746.5401 - Requirement of Gas Leak Inspection State’s note: “The operation does not have a current gas inspection availble for review for CCR.” |
| November 18, 2025 | Medium | 746.5205(4) - Documentation of Drills State’s note: “The director did not provide documentation for sheltering or lockdown drills.” |
| December 11, 2024 | Medium High | 746.4001 - First Aid Kit - Available in Each Building, on Field Trips, during Transportation State’s note: “One van used to transport children in care did not have the required first aid kit.” |
| December 11, 2024 | Medium High | 746.3701(5) - Safety - Play Materials and Equipment Safe State’s note: “Playground hazards: broken plastic slide; wooden storage shed with splinted wood (children observed putting hands in wooden shed).” |
Recent inspections and visits
- May 8, 2026 Inspection · deficiency found: No
- April 10, 2026 Inspection · deficiency found: Yes
- December 4, 2025 Inspection · deficiency found: Yes
- November 18, 2025 Inspection · deficiency found: Yes
- November 13, 2025 Inspection · deficiency found: No
- November 12, 2025 Report · deficiency found: No
- February 3, 2025 Inspection · deficiency found: No
- January 30, 2025 Report · deficiency found: No
- December 11, 2024 Inspection · deficiency found: Yes
- January 18, 2024 Inspection · deficiency found: No
- February 22, 2023 Inspection · deficiency found: No
- March 4, 2022 Inspection · deficiency found: No
How many times has the state inspected Essential Steps?
Texas HHSC's file lists 7 inspections in the last two years, the most recent on May 8, 2026. 4 of the inspections and other visits in that period are marked as having found a deficiency.
Does Essential Steps have deficiencies on its record?
The state's summary for this operation lists 16: 11 medium-high-risk, 4 medium-risk, 1 low-risk. Each one is listed below with its date and whether it was corrected.
Is this a rating?
No. This page shows the State of Texas's own public records, summarized. It is not a rating, a review or our opinion. Ask the operation or HHSC about anything here.
About this record. Public record from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation: the operations file, the inspections file and the non-compliance file on data.texas.gov, read daily. We summarize the state’s counts and quote its words; we don’t rate, rank or review anyone. For the official record or a complaint, go to HHSC Child Care Regulation. Is this your operation, and is something wrong? Tell us.
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