Tiny Steps Learning Center
Licensed Center in Mercedes, Texas. License #1728893, issued December 22, 2022.
- Address
- 121 S Georgia Ave, Mercedes, TX 78570
- Phone
- (956) 684-5314
- Licensed capacity
- 22 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, After School Care, Snacks Provided, Drop-In Care, Part Time Care.
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 August 8, 2025. From the state's provider report of September 3, 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 6,510 standards at Tiny Steps Learning Center between November 10, 2021 and September 16, 2026 and recorded 21 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 | 5 | 590 | 2 |
| Record keeping | 5 | 538 | 3 |
| Personnel | 5 | 699 | 3 |
| Ratios and group sizes | 6 | 324 | 0 |
| Activities | 5 | 168 | 0 |
| Infants | 6 | 531 | 1 |
| Toddlers | 6 | 132 | 0 |
| Pre-kindergarten | 5 | 89 | 0 |
| School-age | 5 | 100 | 0 |
| Discipline | 6 | 120 | 0 |
| Naptime | 7 | 84 | 0 |
| Field trips | 4 | 44 | 0 |
| Get well care | 6 | 162 | 0 |
| Nighttime care | 6 | 78 | 0 |
| Nutrition and food care | 5 | 222 | 0 |
| Health practices | 5 | 562 | 1 |
| Safety practices | 6 | 430 | 3 |
| Physical facilities | 6 | 447 | 0 |
| Outdoor safety | 5 | 480 | 0 |
| Pools | 6 | 156 | 0 |
| Fire safety | 5 | 339 | 3 |
| Transportation | 5 | 200 | 0 |
The table adds up to 6,495 of those standards. The remaining 15, including 5 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 Tiny Steps 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 16 visits to this operation since October 2017, most recently on September 16, 2026, and 21 citations.
- 5High
- 7Medium High
- 8Medium
- 1Medium Low
Every citation below records a correction.
Citations
Showing all 21. Indented text is the inspector's own, reproduced verbatim.
- Medium October 2, 2025 Correction verified October 21, 2025
746.501(a)(1): Written Operational Policies - Operating Times
The following written operational policies are incomplete: (18) Promotion of indoor and outdoor physical activity that is consistent with Subchapter F policy must include: (A)-(G); (20)Parent rights that are consistent with the rules in Division 5 of this subchapter(relating to Parent Rights);(26) Preventing and responding to abuse and neglect of children (A)-(E); (30) Procedures for supporting inclusive services to children with special care needs. The policy must address the requirements outlined in 746.2202 of this chapter(relating to What are my responsibilities when planning activities for a child in care with special care needs?).
- Medium October 2, 2025 Correction verified October 21, 2025
746.603(a)(4): Children's Records - Immunizations
Two children files are missing immunization records.
- Medium October 2, 2025 Correction verified October 21, 2025
746.901: Required Personnel Records
A caregivers file was not available for review during inspection.
- Medium High November 18, 2024 Correction verified December 2, 2024
746.3401(a): Annual Sanitation Inspection
Facility does not have a current annual sanitation inspection.
- High November 18, 2024 Correction verified December 3, 2024
746.5101(a): Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months
Facility does not have a current Fire Inspection.
- Medium November 18, 2024 Correction verified November 25, 2024
746.4135(b): Children's Products- Annual Certification
Facility does not have a current annual certification regarding unsafe children's products.
- High November 18, 2024 Correction verified November 25, 2024
746.2415(b): AP Cribs - Only Snug Fitting Sheet and Crib Mattress Cover Allowed if Infant Younger than 12 Months of Age
Observed a 10 month old infant asleep in a crib while covered with a blanket.
- Medium High December 15, 2023 Correction verified December 22, 2023
746.1309(d): Documented Annual Training - Caregivers of Children Under 24 Months Required
A caregiver has not obtained one hour of training in the following topics: recognizing and preventing shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma; understanding and using safe sleep practices and preventing sudden infant death syndrome and understanding early childhood brain development.
- Medium December 15, 2023 Correction verified December 15, 2023
746.4135(b): Children's Products- Annual Certification
Facility is not current with children's products certification.
- Medium December 15, 2023 Correction verified December 22, 2023
746.1309(c): Documented Annual Training - 1 hour in Prevention, Recognition and Reporting of child maltreatment
A caregiver has not obtained one hour of training in the following topic: prevention, recognition and reporting of child maltreatment.
- Medium Low December 15, 2023 Correction verified December 22, 2023
746.1329(a): Documentation of Training Requirements - Original Training Certification Card or Letter in each Employee's personnel record
Staff files were reviewed and the following was not available for review: pre service for a caregiver and TB results; a second file was missing proof of education.
- High November 22, 2022 Corrected at inspection
745.641: AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operation
In reviewing staff sign in/out logs it was found that there was a person working with no cleared background check. This person has been working since 11/1. (NOTE: The person has not been present this week)
- High September 23, 2022 Corrected at inspection
746.613(a): Required Immunizations
2 of the children's files reviewed were lacking immunizations. (NOTE: Corrected during inspection as immunizations were emailed to the director and she was able to print them)
- Medium High August 15, 2022 Correction verified September 2, 2022
746.3503(a): Diaper Changing Equipment - Smooth, Non-absorbent, Easy to Clean Surface
The diaper changing mat in the infant room has several small tears that do not allow for proper sanitation.
- Medium High August 15, 2022 Corrected at inspection
746.3417(1): Children Handwashing Before Eating
Not all children washed their hands prior to eating lunch. (NOTE: Corrected during inspection as the children were asked to wash their hands.)
- High May 12, 2022 Correction verified June 1, 2022
746.5319: Smoke Detectors Testing
The electronic smoke detection system was not working properly when the button for a drill was activated. There was no alarm sound and the company did not call to verify a drill.
- Medium High May 12, 2022 Correction verified June 1, 2022
746.3407: Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment
Although the operation is not licensed for afterschool children, the room assigned for the age group is currently not set up and is not organized and children's items are on the tables. (Pictures on file)
- Medium High May 12, 2022 Correction verified June 1, 2022
746.5205(1): Fire Drill Monthly - Exit in 3 Minutes
There have been no fire drills done since February. (One was attempted however the fire system was not operating properly)
- Medium High November 10, 2021 Correction verified November 22, 2021
746.5535(a)(1): Install CO Detection System-Electric or Battery Operated-on Every Level of Each Building
Facility does not have a carbon monoxide in the building.
- Medium November 10, 2021 Correction verified November 19, 2021
746.501(a)(1): Written Operational Policies - Operating Times
Written operational policies are incomplete.
- Medium November 10, 2021 Correction verified November 19, 2021
746.4135(b): Children's Products- Annual Certification
Children's products was not available for review during inspection.
Do you have a child enrolled here?
If Tiny Steps Learning Center 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 8, 2026. Full methodology.
Operate this program? Write to corrections@childcaretx.com and we will publish your response beside any record here.