First Step Learning Center
Licensed Center in Desoto, Texas. License #813204, issued January 9, 2002.
- Address
- 335 S Hampton Rd, Desoto, TX 75115
- Phone
- (972) 230-8100
- Licensed capacity
- 136 children
- Licensed for
- Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School
- Hours
- 06:00 AM-06:30 PM
- Days
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
- Child care subsidies
- Accepted
Programs listed with the state: School Age Care, Before School Care, Meals Provided, After School Care, Snacks Provided, Drop-In Care, Part Time Care, Transportation to/from School, Field Trips.
Openings
This program has not told us about its openings. We only publish what a program confirms itself, so there is nothing here yet. Ring them to ask.
Texas Rising Star
Texas Rising Star 3-star of a possible 4
A quality rating the state awards after an on-site assessment. Four stars is the highest.
In effect since September 2, 2024. From the state's provider report of August 4, 2026.
Where this is
A map of this address loads when you ask for it. Nothing is requested from the map host until then, so opening this page does not tell anyone which program you were reading about.
The pin is where the US Census geocoder placed this address. About one in eight is interpolated along a street rather than resolved to a building, so treat it as the right block rather than the right doorway. How we source this.
What inspectors checked
Texas HHSC records how many individual standards it evaluated in each area of the rules, and how many it found violated. Across 22 areas it checked 3,762 standards at First Step Learning Center between November 12, 2021 and February 11, 2026 and recorded 16 violations. Those correspond to the citations listed above that were recorded from 2021 onward; anything older than that is in the citation list but not in these counts.
The 22 areas, one by one
| Area of the rules | Visits | Standards checked | Violated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope, administration, and communication | 3 | 363 | 0 |
| Record keeping | 2 | 220 | 0 |
| Personnel | 3 | 444 | 3 |
| Ratios and group sizes | 5 | 270 | 0 |
| Activities | 2 | 68 | 0 |
| Infants | 3 | 267 | 1 |
| Toddlers | 2 | 44 | 0 |
| Pre-kindergarten | 3 | 55 | 0 |
| School-age | 2 | 40 | 0 |
| Discipline | 2 | 40 | 0 |
| Naptime | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Field trips | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| Get well care | 2 | 54 | 0 |
| Nighttime care | 2 | 26 | 0 |
| Nutrition and food care | 3 | 134 | 0 |
| Health practices | 2 | 225 | 0 |
| Safety practices | 3 | 220 | 0 |
| Physical facilities | 3 | 224 | 0 |
| Outdoor safety | 3 | 288 | 1 |
| Pools | 3 | 78 | 0 |
| Fire safety | 4 | 271 | 1 |
| Transportation | 7 | 313 | 0 |
The table adds up to 3,690 of those standards. The remaining 72, including 10 of the violations, were recorded under the state's own catch-all heading, “Individual Standards Evaluated”, which names no area. They are reported here rather than folded into an area above, because the state did not say which area they belong to and we are not going to decide for it.
A high number of standards checked is not a compliment and a low one is not a criticism: how many apply depends on a program's size, its ages served and what the inspector was there to look at. We publish the two counts the state published and do not turn them into a score. This data begins in 2021, which is later than the inspection history above it.
Ask about an opening
This goes to First Step Learning Center and nobody else. They reply to you directly: we do not sit in the middle of it, and we never pass your details on or sell them.
Tell me about new inspections
One short message each time Texas HHSC records an inspection here, saying that it happened and linking to the record. We do not tell you what the inspector found: a finding without whether it was corrected is misleading, and that pair belongs on the page rather than split across an email.
We ask for nothing but the address, and we send a confirmation first. Your list is never shown to this program, never sold, and every message has a link to stop. An inspection is routine: programs are visited on a schedule and after a complaint, and a visit is not a finding.
State inspection record
HHSC records 36 visits to this operation since October 2017, most recently on February 11, 2026, and 16 citations.
4 of those visits began with First Step Learning Center reporting something to the state itself rather than HHSC finding it. We publish that because it is part of the record and the state records it separately, not because it is good or bad: a program with none may have had nothing to report. 3,674 of the 12,933 programs listed here have at least one.
- 5High
- 8Medium High
- 3Medium
Every citation below records a correction.
Citations
Showing all 16. Indented text is the inspector's own, reproduced verbatim.
- Medium High January 15, 2026 Correction verified February 11, 2026
746.5207(b): Emergency Evacuation and Relocation Diagram - Posted in Each Room
The children's room at the operation did not have an emergency evacuation plan posted.
- Medium January 15, 2026 Correction verified February 11, 2026
746.1311(a): Director Annual Training 30 Hours Required
The director needs to complete 30 hours of annual training.
- Medium High January 15, 2026 Correction verified February 11, 2026
746.4907(d): Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Proper Depth Maintained
Loose fill depth was found not be adequate at inspection.
- Medium High January 15, 2026 Correction verified February 11, 2026
746.1309(d): Documented Annual Training - Caregivers of Children Under 24 Months Required
The caregiver for the infant room did not have annual SIDS training.
- Medium High January 30, 2025 Corrected at inspection
746.2415(a)(1): Prohibited Equipment for Infants - Baby Walkers
A child was observed using a baby walker with wheels. The walker was removed from the building during the inspection.
- Medium High January 30, 2025 Correction verified March 6, 2025
746.1301(a)(3)(A): Training Requirements for Employees, Caregivers, and Directors - Pediatric First Aid with Rescue Breathing
Four caregivers did not have current CPR/First Aid training,
- Medium High February 2, 2024 Corrected at inspection
746.1601: Child/ Caregiver Ratio - 13 or More Children
One caregiver was observed caring for 7 infants ages 4-16 months. The specified age group was 0-11 months. The room was out of ratio by 3. An additional caregiver was placed in the classroom bringing the class into compliance.
- Medium High March 14, 2023 Correction verified March 27, 2023
746.1601: Child/ Caregiver Ratio - 13 or More Children
The standard was evaluated as related a DFPS investigation. During the investigation inspection, one caregiver was observed caring for 7 children ages 9-19 months. The specified age group for the room was 12-17 months. The room was out of ratio by 2 children.
- High February 10, 2023 Correction verified March 14, 2023
746.5625(b): Electronic Child Safety Alarm - installed and maintained according to manufacturer's instructions
The van used for transportation did not have a working electronic alarm.
- High February 6, 2023 Correction verified February 13, 2023
746.5101(a): Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months
The operation did not have a current fire inspection.
- Medium November 29, 2021 Correction verified December 17, 2021
746.311(b): Parental Notification - Safe Sleeping Deficiency Use Form 2970
The operation failed to timely notify the parents of being cited for safe sleep.
- Medium High November 23, 2021 Corrected at inspection
746.1601: Child/ Caregiver Ratio - 13 or More Children
The infant room was observed with 5 children ages 2 months-15 months. The room was out of ratio by 1 child. The school age room was observed with 28 children ages 6-12. The room was out of ratio by 2 children. During the inspection one infant was moved to another room which brought the infant room into compliance. During the inspection another caregiver was placed in the school age room bringing the room into compliance.
- High November 17, 2021 Correction verified January 13, 2022
746.1203(4): Responsibilities of Caregivers- Supervision of Children
This standard was evaluated as part of an investigation and found to be deficient. A child was able to exit their classroom and walk to the outdoor play area unsupervised.
- Medium November 17, 2021 Correction verified December 22, 2021
746.1305(a)(5): Pre-service Training- Supervision and Safety
Based on the DFPS investigation, there was no proof that two caregivers completed Supervision and Safety Training during pre-service.
- High November 17, 2021 Correction verified November 23, 2021
745.635(2): AP Background check determination - If ineligible then you must immediately remove subject from operation and confirm to CBCU receipt of notice letter
The operation had a caregiver present with direct access to children after receiving an notice from the CBCU stating that he was ineligible to be at the operation. The staff member was immediately sent home from the operation.
- High November 17, 2021 Corrected at inspection
746.2415(b): AP Cribs - Only Snug Fitting Sheet and Crib Mattress Cover Allowed if Infant Younger than 12 Months of Age
One infant under the age of 12 months was observed sleeping in his crib with a blanket. The caregiver removed the blanket during the monitoring.
Do you have a child enrolled here?
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There are no reviews on this site and we are not adding them. We publish the state's inspection record and facts families confirm, not opinions. Your address is never shown publicly; it goes to the program so they can confirm you, and nowhere else.
About this record
Every figure on this page comes from the Texas HHSC Child Care Regulation open data published at data.texas.gov, reproduced as the state recorded it. We do not grade, score or rank programs. A citation is a finding by a state inspector on a given day; it is not a judgment about a program today, and the correction status beside each one is part of the record. This page reflects data retrieved on November 8, 2026. Full methodology.
Operate this program? Write to corrections@childcaretx.com and we will publish your response beside any record here.