Licensed Child Care Center · Houston, TX 77012
Between Oct 20, 2021 and Oct 20, 2026, the state cited Building Blocks Academy Lawndale for 18 deficiencies — the Texas HHSC term for rule violations — over 16 routine inspections and 6 other visits (investigations or paperwork reviews); 6 were under rules the state weights High. The rule cited most often here is 746.3407 (3 times, most recently Jul 29, 2025).
The state lists Building Blocks Academy Lawndale as serving infant, toddler, pre-kindergarten, and school-age children, open 06:00 AM to 07:00 PM (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri). Program type: Child Care Program.
Of the 18 violations at Building Blocks Academy Lawndale, 6 fall under rules Texas weights High and 10 under Medium High; the state sets each rule’s weight by the risk a violation poses to children. How weights work
| Weight | Violations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| High | 6 | 33% |
| Medium High | 10 | 56% |
| Medium | 2 | 11% |
| Medium Low | 0 | 0% |
| Low | 0 | 0% |
Building Blocks Academy Lawndale had 18 violations in five years, more than the median of 11 across Houston’s 923 licensed child care centers, and 0.9 per routine inspection against a median of 1.0 — a count of state records, not a rating.
4 rules were cited more than once at Building Blocks Academy Lawndale in the last five years.
| Rule | Times | What the rule covers |
|---|---|---|
| 746.3407 Medium High | 3 | The center must clean, repair, and maintain its building, grounds, and equipment to protect children's health. This includes sanitizing toys that children put in their mouths, keeping garbage out of children's reach, keeping floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair, and labeling cleaning supplies and storing them away from food and out of children's reach. Official rule text Most recent: Jul 29, 2025 · first: Dec 30, 2021 |
| 746.3701 Medium High | 3 | All areas children can reach must be free of hazards. The rule lists examples such as childproof covers on outlets for children under five, heaters and fans mounted out of reach or guarded, poisonous plants kept out of reach, pools, buckets, and other water kept away from children, and TVs anchored so they cannot tip over. Official rule text · rule revised September 2024 Most recent: Nov 7, 2024 · first: Oct 3, 2023 |
| 746.2805 High | 2 | No child may be treated in a harsh, cruel, or unusual way. Banned methods include physical punishment or threats of it, punishment tied to food, naps, or toilet training, grabbing or pulling a child, yelling at or humiliating a child, and putting a child in a locked or dark room. Official rule text Most recent: Jun 30, 2026 · first: Jul 29, 2025 |
| 746.5307 Medium High | 2 | The director or a designee must inspect the fire extinguishers every month and record the date and the employee's name. Extinguishers must be serviced as the manufacturer or the fire marshal requires. Official rule text Most recent: Jun 14, 2024 · first: Dec 6, 2023 |
| Year | Routine inspections | All state visits | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (from Oct 20) | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
22 visits on record since Oct 20, 2021, newest first, including visits that found nothing.
| Date | Type | Rules checked | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2026 | Inspection | 634 | Pending with the state |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Inspection | 2 | None |
| Jun 30, 2026 | Investigation (report) | 2 | 1 |
| Nov 6, 2025 | Inspection | 634 | None |
| Sep 8, 2025 | Inspection | 115 | None |
| Jul 31, 2025 | Inspection | — | None |
| Jul 29, 2025 | Investigation (report) | 22 | 3 |
| Dec 13, 2024 | Inspection | — | None |
| Dec 11, 2024 | Investigation (report) | 1 | None |
| Dec 5, 2024 | Inspection | 1 | None |
| Nov 7, 2024 | Inspection | 646 | 4 |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Inspection | — | None |
| Date | Type | Rules checked | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2024 | Investigation (report) | 2 | None |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Inspection | — | None |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Inspection | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Investigation (report) | 2 | None |
| Dec 6, 2023 | Inspection | 620 | 3 |
| Oct 3, 2023 | Inspection | 3 | 3 |
| Sep 21, 2023 | Investigation (report) | 1 | None |
| Dec 16, 2022 | Inspection | 587 | None |
| Jan 7, 2022 | Inspection | 1 | None |
| Dec 30, 2021 | Inspection | 589 | 3 |
“Pending”: the state has not posted the outcome.
2 rules cited at Building Blocks Academy Lawndale changed after some of these citations (marked “rule revised”), so the wording that applied at the time may differ from our plain-English explanation.
High · Jun 30, 2026 · Investigation (report)
A caregiver used prohibited discipline and guidance by pushing a child's head and pinching a child.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Jul 29, 2025 · Investigation (report)
During the inspection I observed the ceiling in several classrooms to be in need of repair. There was also evidence of a leak in the ceiling.
Plain-English explanation above
High · Jul 29, 2025 · Investigation (report)
A caregiver yells at the children in the classroom.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Jul 29, 2025 · Investigation (report)
Four child records did not have the required information documented for their emergency contact.
In plain English: Before admitting a child, the center must collect set information, including the child's name and birth date, how to reach the parents, an emergency contact for when parents can't be reached, the people allowed to pick up the child, and permission to get emergency medical care. It must also record the child's special care needs, any allergies with a food allergy emergency plan if needed, and permission for transportation, field trips, or water activities if the center offers them. Official rule text
High · Nov 7, 2024 · Inspection
The alarm in vehicle was observed not working during inspection.
In plain English: A vehicle that seats eight or more, is used to transport children, and was bought or leased on or after December 31, 2013, must have an electronic child alarm that is installed and maintained per the maker's instructions and used on every trip with children. Before turning off the alarm at the rear of the vehicle, the driver or a designated employee must account for every child and walk through the vehicle to check that no child is left inside. Official rule text
Medium High · Nov 7, 2024 · Inspection
Multiple outlets were observed uncovered in 3 class rooms. This was corrected during inspection when care giver was obsereved covering outlets.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Nov 7, 2024 · Inspection
A gap was observed in the ceiling tile in class room 2 leaving an opening. This was observed corrected during inspection when caregiver closed the open ceiling tile.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Nov 7, 2024 · Inspection
A televison was obsereved not anchored sitting on a shelf with electrical cords hanging down assessable to children. This was observed corrected when caregiver removed television.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Jun 14, 2024 · Inspection
Fire extinguishers were observed last serviced 5/2023 during the inspection.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium · Dec 6, 2023 · Inspection
A three year old child was observed having screen time using an ipad during naptime. This was corrected during the inspection when the caregiver was observed removing the ipad from the childs posssession.
In plain English: Centers may not use screen time for children under two. For older children, screen time may only add to other activities, not replace them, and it must be tied to planned learning goals, age-appropriate, no more than one hour a day, free of ads and violence, and not used during meals, snacks, naps, or rest times. Official rule text
Medium High · Dec 6, 2023 · Inspection
There was no documentation of fire extinguishers being checked monthly available for review during the inspection.
Plain-English explanation above
High · Dec 6, 2023 · Inspection
Caregiver was observed not knowing the number of children caring for during the inspection. This was corrected during the inspection when caregiver was observed counting the number of children in care and giving the correct number to inspector.
In plain English: Each caregiver must know which children they are responsible for, how many there are, and each child's name and age. The caregiver must stay close enough to see or hear what each child is doing, as the situation calls for, and be able to step in when needed. Official rule text
High · Oct 3, 2023 · Inspection
One caregiver was observed caring for infants in the infant room without an approved background check. The caregiver was observed leaving the operation during inspection.
In plain English: An operation must get notice from the state's background check unit that a person is eligible, eligible with conditions, or provisionally eligible with conditions before letting that person be at the operation. While waiting, the person may attend orientation or pre-service training only if they have no contact with children in care. Official rule text
Medium High · Oct 3, 2023 · Inspection
An electrical outlet was observed uncovered accessible to children under five years of age in the pre-k 3 room. This was corrected during the inspection when the electrrical outlet was observed being covered.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised September 2024
Medium High · Oct 3, 2023 · Inspection
Sippy cups were observed in the infant room not properly labeled with childs first name and first initial of last name. This was corrected during the inspection when caregivers were observed labeling the sippy cups during the inspection.
In plain English: Caregivers must hold infants up to six months old, and older infants who cannot sit up on their own, while feeding them, and must never prop a bottle. Bottles and cups must be labeled with the infant's first name and last initial, infants may not walk around or sleep with a bottle or cup, the hand-washing sink and diaper-changing surface may not be used for food or bottle preparation, and high chair trays must be sanitized before each use. Official rule text
High · Dec 30, 2021 · Inspection
One caregiver was unaware of how many children they were responsible for.
In plain English: Caregivers must know and follow the state minimum standards and supervise children at all times. They must not be pulled away by tasks unrelated to caring for children, such as paperwork, janitorial work, or personal use of phones and other devices, and must pass along each child's information and parent instructions to the next shift. Official rule text · rule revised March 2023
Medium High · Dec 30, 2021 · Inspection
Part of the floors, ceilings and walls were not in good repair. 3 toilets were not usable.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium · Dec 30, 2021 · Inspection
Of the 10 chldren's records evaluated, 6 lacked the health care professional statement.
In plain English: The center must keep a record for each enrolled child, including the enrollment agreement, admission information, a health statement from a health-care professional, and immunization records, plus items such as sign-in and sign-out records and medication records when they apply. These records must be kept at the center, available during operating hours, generally until three months after the child's last day. Official rule text
Based on the kinds of rules cited at Building Blocks Academy Lawndale:
More in ZIP 77012 and all of Houston.
This page reports the state’s records for Building Blocks Academy Lawndale; it is not a rating, a recommendation, or a background check, and may not be used for employment, tenant, credit, or insurance decisions.
Explanations follow the current rules (HHSC minimum standards, revised December 2025).