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TheVardellReport
First Step INC
Licensed child care center
4003 Hunter Rd
San Marcos, TX 78666
Report
← First Step INC, free profile
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The Vardell Report.First Step INC
The deeper story, beautifully organized. Available records, historical context, and questions worth asking.
- Provider Category
- Childcare
- Location
- San Marcos, TX
- Record Period
- 2022–2026
- Source Documents
- 22
This report is free. Vardell does not certify, grade or endorse; it shows what the record documents.
The Essentials
Summary
Across 21 licensing visits from June 2022 to March 2026, HHSC cited 3 deficiencies at First Step INC; 3 have a recorded correction.
- Visits
- 21
- 2022–2026, inspections, investigations and assessments
- Deficiencies
- 3
- Standards cited by HHSC inspectors
- Corrected
- 3
- Of 3 deficiencies, with a recorded correction date
- Investigations
- 6
- 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What the Record Shows
- 3 of 3 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.
- 6 visits in this window included an investigation. HHSC publishes what an investigation cited, not what the report to it alleged.
- The latest inspection, March 3, 2026, recorded no deficiencies.
Report at a Glance
- Facility
- First Step INC
- Address
- 4003 Hunter Rd, San Marcos, TX 78666
- Operation Number
- TX-515990
- License Type
- Licensed child care center
- Licensed Capacity
- 71 children
- Permit
- Full Permit
- Ages Served
- infants, toddlers, pre-kindergarten, school age
- Hours
- Mon–Fri, 7:15 a.m.–5:30 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), 905051540
- 2026
Investigation
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905199882
- 2026
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051539
- 2025
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051538
- 2025
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051537
- 2025
Investigation
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905199881
- 2025
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051536
- 2025
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051535
- 2025
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), 905199880
- 2024
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051534
- 2024
Inspection
1 deficiency
- 746.4907(a)(1)Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Six Inches if Equipment 5 Ft or LessMedium-high riskCorrected May 20, 2024
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051533
- 2023
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051532
- 2023
Investigation
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905199879
- 2023
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051531
- 2023
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051530
- 2023
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051529
- 2023
Investigation
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905199878
- 2022
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051528
- 2022
Inspection
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051527
- 2022
Investigation
No deficiencies
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905199877
- 2022
Inspection
2 deficiencies
- 746.3501(6)Diaper Changing Steps-Supplies Kept Out of Child's ReachMedium-high riskCorrected Jun 27, 2022
- 745.641AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operationHigh riskCorrected Jun 27, 2022
Source: Inspection, investigation or assessment, with the deficiencies cited (data.texas.gov: m5q4-3y3d and tqgd-mf4x), 905051526
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 21 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 · 515990
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 · 905051526
Visit Jun 27, 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 · 905199877
Visit Aug 18, 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 · 905051527
Visit Aug 22, 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 · 905051528
Visit Sep 12, 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 · 905199878
Visit Jan 12, 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 · 905051529
Visit Jan 23, 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 · 905051530
Visit May 22, 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 · 905051531
Visit Jun 28, 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 · 905199879
Visit Jul 12, 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 · 905051532
Visit Jul 24, 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 · 905051533
Visit Apr 18, 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 · 905051534
Visit May 30, 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 · 905199880
Visit Jan 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 · 905051535
Visit Jan 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 · 905051536
Visit Mar 7, 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 · 905199881
Visit Apr 7, 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 · 905051537
Visit Apr 8, 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 · 905051538
Visit May 19, 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 · 905051539
Visit Feb 9, 2026 · 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 · 905199882
Visit Feb 27, 2026 · 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 · 905051540
Visit Mar 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.