Report
TheVardellReport
2nd Step Daycare & Learning Center
Licensed child care center
4255 S R L Thornton Fwy
Dallas, TX 75224
Report
← 2nd Step Daycare & Learning Center, free profile
Life by Vardell Presents
The Vardell Report.2nd Step Daycare & Learning Center
The deeper story, beautifully organized. Available records, historical context, and questions worth asking.
- Provider Category
- Childcare
- Location
- Dallas, TX
- Record Period
- 2021–2026
- Source Documents
- 16
This report is free. Vardell does not certify, grade or endorse; it shows what the record documents.
The Essentials
Summary
Across 15 licensing visits from November 2021 to September 2026, HHSC cited 5 deficiencies at 2nd Step Daycare & Learning Center; 5 have a recorded correction.
- Visits
- 15
- 2021–2026, inspections, investigations and assessments
- Deficiencies
- 5
- Standards cited by HHSC inspectors
- Corrected
- 5
- Of 5 deficiencies, with a recorded correction date
- Investigations
- 3
- Licensing investigations, whatever prompted them
Deficiencies by Year
- Deficiencies
- Of which, high risk
* Partial year, through October 31, 2026.
| Year | Visits | Deficiencies | Of which, high risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What the Record Shows
- 5 of 5 deficiencies have a recorded correction date.
- HHSC’s files name no enforcement action in this window. They say whether a program is under corrective or adverse action, not what the action was.
- 3 visits in this window included an investigation. HHSC publishes what an investigation cited, not what the report to it alleged.
- The latest inspection, September 3, 2026, recorded no deficiencies.
Report at a Glance
- Facility
- 2nd Step Daycare & Learning Center
- Address
- 4255 S R L Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX 75224
- Operation Number
- TX-1147066
- License Type
- Licensed child care center
- Licensed Capacity
- 198 children
- Permit
- Full Permit
- Ages Served
- infants, toddlers, pre-kindergarten, school age
- Hours
- Mon–Fri, 6:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Record Window
- November 1, 2021 to October 31, 2026
Chronology
Inspection History
Every visit in the record window, newest first. A deficiency is a licensing standard Texas inspectors found was not met. HHSC publishes what an investigation cited, not what the report to it alleged.
- 2026
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083670
- 2025
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083669
- 2025
Investigation
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905213826
- 2025
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083668
- 2025
Inspection
1 deficiency
- 746.5625(c)Electronic Child Safety Alarm - used at all times when transporting a child in careHigh riskCorrected Oct 9, 2025
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083667
- 2024
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083666
- 2024
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083665
- 2023
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083664
- 2023
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083663
- 2023
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083662
- 2023
Investigation
1 deficiency
- 746.5617(a)(1)Required Equipment in Vehicles - List of ChildrenHigh riskCorrected May 4, 2023
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905213825
- 2022
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083661
- 2022
Inspection
3 deficiencies
- 746.1311(d)Director Annual Training - Caring for children under 24 monthsMedium-high riskCorrected Nov 4, 2022
- 746.4907(a)(1)Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Six Inches if Equipment 5 Ft or LessMedium-high riskCorrected Nov 7, 2022
- 746.605(16)Required Admission Information-Completed Food Allergy PlanMedium-high riskCorrected Nov 18, 2022
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083660
- 2021
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905083659
- 2021
Investigation
No deficiencies
Opened on a report the operation made itself.
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905213824
Texas gives every licensing standard one of five risk levels, from low to high, by how likely a deficiency is to harm a child.
Context
Patterns Worth Examining
A repeated citation can merit attention, but context and corrective action must be reviewed before drawing a conclusion.
No citation repeats across the 15 visits in this window, and no deficiency is waiting on a verified correction. That is what the record shows; it is not a judgment of care. The questions that follow still apply.
For Your Next Visit
Questions to Ask on Your Visit
Bring these to the tour. Each one comes from something in the record; the reason is under the question.
- 01
What is the ratio in the room my child would join, and how is every child accounted for at nap time, pickup and on the playground?
Ratios change through the day, so they are worth counting yourself on a visit.
- 02
Has the center ever been under corrective or adverse action, and what changed afterward?
HHSC’s files name no enforcement action in this window. They say whether a program is under corrective or adverse action, not what the action was.
The Evidence
Sources and Coverage
Program details, licensing visits and the deficiencies cited at each are published by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Child Care Regulation in its daily files on data.texas.gov.
- Child Care Licensing operations (data.texas.gov)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 1147066
Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905213824
Visit Nov 10, 2021 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083659
Visit Nov 12, 2021 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083660
Visit Oct 31, 2022 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083661
Visit Nov 10, 2022 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905213825
Visit Apr 5, 2023 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083662
Visit Apr 6, 2023 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083663
Visit May 16, 2023 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083664
Visit Sep 21, 2023 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083665
Visit Sep 17, 2024 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083666
Visit Oct 24, 2024 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083667
Visit Sep 9, 2025 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083668
Visit Oct 20, 2025 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905213826
Visit Nov 14, 2025 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083669
Visit Nov 18, 2025 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x)View Dataset ↗
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation · 905083670
Visit Sep 3, 2026 · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Coverage
Record windowNovember 1, 2021 – October 31, 2026
- This record is HHSC's list of operations as of October 2026, with the inspections, investigations and assessments in HHSC's files, which run from November 2021.
- Listed family homes (one caregiver with up to three unrelated children, listed with HHSC but not inspected on a schedule) are not in this record.
- HHSC's narrative for each deficiency is left out because it can name children, parents and staff; the rule cited, its risk level and the correction dates are kept.
What This Report Cannot Tell You
- Inspector narratives
- Published by HHSC but left out of this record because they can name people.
- Enforcement actions
- HHSC's files say whether an operation is under corrective or adverse action, not what the action was.
- Complaints not investigated
- Reports HHSC screened out without an investigation are not published.
- Staff qualifications and turnover
- Not part of the published licensing record.
Historical coverage varies by agency and location. Missing records do not mean that no complaint or violation occurred.
Data architecture: Cierto supplies the source-backed machine-readable bundle. Life by Vardell independently creates the narrative, design, and consumer report.