Kids Etc
Licensed Center in Hardin, Texas. License #553057, issued April 5, 2001.
- Address
- 12458 Hwy 146 N, Hardin, TX 77561
- Phone
- (936) 298-3806
- Licensed capacity
- 77 children
- Licensed for
- Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School
- Hours
- 06:00 AM-06:00 PM
- Days
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
- Child care subsidies
- Accepted
Programs listed with the state: Meals Provided, Snacks Provided, 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 April 30, 2025. From the state's provider report of October 23, 2026.
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 3,854 standards at Kids Etc between October 28, 2021 and July 31, 2026 and recorded 5 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 | 3 | 331 | 0 |
| Personnel | 4 | 566 | 0 |
| Ratios and group sizes | 3 | 162 | 0 |
| Activities | 3 | 104 | 0 |
| Infants | 3 | 267 | 0 |
| Toddlers | 3 | 66 | 0 |
| Pre-kindergarten | 3 | 55 | 0 |
| School-age | 3 | 60 | 0 |
| Discipline | 3 | 60 | 0 |
| Naptime | 3 | 36 | 0 |
| Field trips | 3 | 33 | 0 |
| Get well care | 3 | 81 | 0 |
| Nighttime care | 3 | 39 | 0 |
| Nutrition and food care | 3 | 134 | 0 |
| Health practices | 3 | 338 | 0 |
| Safety practices | 3 | 222 | 0 |
| Physical facilities | 3 | 224 | 0 |
| Outdoor safety | 3 | 288 | 0 |
| Pools | 3 | 78 | 0 |
| Fire safety | 3 | 203 | 0 |
| Transportation | 3 | 132 | 1 |
The table adds up to 3,842 of those standards. The remaining 12, including 4 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 Kids Etc 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 12 visits to this operation since October 2017, most recently on July 31, 2026, and 5 citations.
- 3High
- 1Medium High
- 1Medium
Every citation below records a correction.
Citations
Showing all 5. Indented text is the inspector's own, reproduced verbatim.
- High August 27, 2024 Correction verified September 9, 2024
746.5625(b): Electronic Child Safety Alarm - installed and maintained according to manufacturer's instructions
The new van does not have the required safety alarm system. The Director has made an appointment to get the device installed.
- High August 3, 2022 Correction verified August 5, 2022
746.2805(6): Prohibited Punishments - Humiliating, Rejecting, Yelling
Based on the information gathered caregivers have been using yelling as a form of punishment and a way to get children's attention.
- High August 3, 2022 Correction verified August 5, 2022
746.1201(1): Responsibilities of Employees and Caregivers -Demonstrate Competency, Good Judgment, Self-control
Based on the information gathered there was enough evidence that children were always getting the water on the playground in high temperatures when it was necessary and were often told to wait when thirsty or hot until it was water time.
- Medium November 10, 2021 Correction verified November 10, 2021
746.2421(b): Written Feeding Instructions - Review and Update Every 30 Days
There were four infant feeding instructions that have not been updated. The Director is going to correct this by getting the infant feeding instructions updated.
- Medium High November 10, 2021 Corrected at inspection
746.3503(a): Diaper Changing Equipment - Smooth, Non-absorbent, Easy to Clean Surface
There were tears in two different diaper changing mats. This was corrected at the time of the inspection by the Director covering the tears with duct tape.
Do you have a child enrolled here?
If Kids Etc confirms you are enrolled, you can tell us what you actually pay. We publish price ranges by city and age so other families know what to expect, and the only reliable source for that is people paying it.
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 7, 2026. Full methodology.
Operate this program? Write to corrections@childcaretx.com and we will publish your response beside any record here.