Licensed Child Care Center · Houston, TX 77018
Between Oct 20, 2021 and Oct 20, 2026, the state cited Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest for 22 deficiencies — the Texas HHSC term for rule violations — over 18 routine inspections and 4 other visits (investigations or paperwork reviews); 9 were under rules the state weights High. The rule cited most often here is 746.1203 (3 times, most recently Dec 11, 2024).
The state lists Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest as serving infant, toddler, pre-kindergarten, and school-age children, open 06:30 AM to 06:30 PM (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri). Programs on file: School Age Care, Before School Care, Accredited, Meals Provided, After School Care, Skill Classes, Part Time Care, Transportation to/from School, Field Trips. Program type: Child Care Program.
Of the 22 violations at Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest, 9 fall under rules Texas weights High and 9 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 | 9 | 41% |
| Medium High | 9 | 41% |
| Medium | 3 | 14% |
| Medium Low | 1 | 5% |
| Low | 0 | 0% |
Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest had 22 violations in five years, more than the median of 11 across Houston’s 923 licensed child care centers, and 0.7 per routine inspection against a median of 1.0 — a count of state records, not a rating.
6 rules were cited more than once at Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest in the last five years.
| Rule | Times | What the rule covers |
|---|---|---|
| 746.1203 High | 3 | 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 Most recent: Dec 11, 2024 · first: Jan 6, 2022 |
| 746.605 Medium High | 2 | 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 · rule revised September 2024 Most recent: Feb 12, 2026 · first: Jun 7, 2022 |
| 746.901 Medium | 2 | The center must keep a file at the center for each employee, caregiver, substitute, and volunteer, available during operating hours. It must include items such as start and end dates, proof of age and education qualifications, the required state affidavit forms (Forms 2985 and 2912), training records, proof that background checks were requested, and a copy of a photo ID. Official rule text · rule revised August 2024 Most recent: Sep 12, 2025 · first: Jun 7, 2022 |
| 746.305 High | 2 | The center must tell the state licensing office as soon as possible, and within two days, about events such as a child injury that needs medical treatment or hospitalization, an illness that needs hospitalization, a reportable disease, the arrest or criminal charge of a person who needs a background check, or any unusual situation that puts a child at risk, such as a child left in a vehicle or wandering off. A child's death in care must be reported immediately. Official rule text · rule revised March 2023 Most recent: Apr 4, 2025 · first: May 19, 2022 |
| 746.1316 Medium High | 2 | If the center transports children younger than nine (by age or development), each employee must complete two hours of transportation training each year before transporting a child, and the director must complete it too. These two hours are separate from orientation, pre-service, and annual training hours. Official rule text Most recent: Apr 22, 2024 · first: Jun 7, 2022 |
| 746.1401 Medium High | 2 | Substitutes, volunteers, and contractors who do not meet caregiver qualifications must never be left alone with children Most recent: Apr 22, 2024 · first: May 1, 2023 |
| Year | Routine inspections | All state visits | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (from Oct 20) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 2025 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
22 visits on record since Oct 20, 2021, newest first, including visits that found nothing.
| Date | Type | Rules checked | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2026 | Inspection | 70 | 2 |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Inspection | 393 | 2 |
| May 21, 2025 | Inspection | 1 | None |
| May 8, 2025 | Inspection | 2 | None |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Inspection | — | None |
| Apr 7, 2025 | Inspection | — | None |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Investigation (report) | 6 | 2 |
| Feb 14, 2025 | Inspection | 712 | None |
| Jan 14, 2025 | Inspection | 1 | None |
| Dec 13, 2024 | Inspection | — | None |
| Dec 11, 2024 | Investigation (self-report) | 2 | 1 |
| May 20, 2024 | Inspection | 2 | None |
| Date | Type | Rules checked | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2024 | Inspection | 842 | 3 |
| May 8, 2023 | Inspection | 2 | None |
| May 1, 2023 | Inspection | 413 | 1 |
| Jul 14, 2022 | Inspection | 5 | None |
| Jun 7, 2022 | Inspection | 827 | 4 |
| May 19, 2022 | Investigation (report) | 6 | 4 |
| Feb 8, 2022 | Inspection | 5 | None |
| Jan 7, 2022 | Inspection | — | None |
| Jan 6, 2022 | Investigation (self-report) | 3 | 2 |
| Dec 16, 2021 | Inspection | 360 | 1 |
6 rules cited at Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest changed after some of these citations (marked “rule revised”), so the wording that applied at the time may differ from our plain-English explanation.
Medium High · Feb 12, 2026 · Inspection
A child on the allergy list does not have the required allergy medication.
Plain-English explanation above
High · Feb 12, 2026 · Inspection
A caregiver was present caring for children without a background check. A background check was submitted for the caregiver during the inspection, and the caregiver was no longer in charge of children.
In plain English: An operation must request a background check when it applies for a permit, hires someone, contracts with someone who needs a check, has a resident age 14 or older move in or a resident who is about to turn or has just turned 14, or learns of anyone else who needs a check. Checks must be renewed within five years for fingerprint-based checks or two years for name-based checks, and also when the person moves to another state or takes a role that requires fingerprints. Official rule text
Medium · Sep 12, 2025 · Inspection
The operation was not able to provide the trainings for four caregivers.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Sep 12, 2025 · Inspection
A caregiver had an expiration date of 8/2025.
In plain English: Each caregiver and the center director must hold a current certificate in pediatric first aid (including rescue breathing and choking) and in pediatric CPR. A new caregiver may work with children before getting the CPR certificate, but at least one employee or caregiver with a current pediatric CPR certificate must be on the premises whenever children are in care. Official rule text
High · Apr 4, 2025 · Investigation (report)
There was a child that was unsupervised in the operation.
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 · Apr 4, 2025 · Investigation (report)
The operation did not report that a child was unsupervised.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Dec 11, 2024 · Investigation (report)
It was determined that a child was found unsupervised in the hallway outside the classroom.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium · Apr 22, 2024 · Inspection
Two contract workers who were counted into ratio and working with a group of children did not meet caregivers qualifications. One contract working was missing CPR and First Aid. Both were missing training and orientation for the operation.
Official text of rule 746.1401
High · Apr 22, 2024 · Inspection
A caregiver with an inactive background as of 11/17/2023 was observed delivering items to classrooms.
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 · Apr 22, 2024 · Inspection
The two drivers and both directors transportation training was not available.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · May 1, 2023 · Inspection
A group of children were left in care of contract/ vendor worker without caregiver qualifications.
Official text of rule 746.1401
Medium Low · Jun 7, 2022 · Inspection
A caregiver did not have any affidavit in their file.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised August 2024
Medium High · Jun 7, 2022 · Inspection
One child is missing emergency contact information and two children are missing address for their emergency contact.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised September 2024
Medium High · Jun 7, 2022 · Inspection
The operation did not have documentation allowing children on the second floor.
Official text of rule 746.4217
Medium High · Jun 7, 2022 · Inspection
One caregiver only had 1 hour of transportation and the directors expired on 1/4/21 and 10/14/2020.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · May 19, 2022 · Investigation (report)
The permit holder was not in compliance with ensuring supervision is being maintained by director and caregivers with children in care. The operation has been cited twice within their 12 months after issuance for children not being supervised.
In plain English: The permit holder must set and follow policies that meet the state minimum standards, name a qualified director who is responsible on site every day, make sure staff report suspected abuse directly to the state hotline, and keep the number of children in care within the licensed capacity. It must also let parents visit any time during operating hours without prior approval and follow the state child-care licensing law and rules. Official rule text · rule revised March 2023
High · May 19, 2022 · Investigation (report)
Children were not being supervised when they were able to walk out the emergency door leading to the outside of the building.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised March 2023
High · May 19, 2022 · Investigation (report)
During the investigation it was determine that children were placed at risk when they walked out the emergency door on two different occasions and days the operation did not make a report to licensing the first time this happened.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised March 2023
Medium · May 19, 2022 · Investigation (report)
The operation was found to not have provider any incident report to a parent of a child that was placed at risk that is required by minimum standards.
In plain English: The center must fill out the state's Incident/Illness Report form (or one with the same information) when a child has an injury needing medical treatment or hospitalization, an illness needing hospitalization, or an emergency allergic reaction that required a stock epinephrine auto-injector not prescribed to the child. It must also fill one out when a child or employee gets a reportable disease, or when any unusual situation put a child at risk, such as a child left in a vehicle or wandering off. Official rule text · rule revised March 2023
High · Jan 6, 2022 · Investigation (report)
It was determined that a 20 month old child was left alone in a classroom with the lights off when the caregivers took the class to the playground.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised March 2023
High · Jan 6, 2022 · Investigation (report)
The director was not in compliance with ensuring supervision is being maintained with children in care. The operation was previously cited on 8/25/2021 for a child being left unsupervised.
In plain English: The director must make sure the center's daily operation and all employees follow the minimum standards, that staff assignments match their skills and training, and that employees are supervised. Caregivers may not be regularly scheduled for more than ten hours of direct child care in a 24-hour period, and qualified substitutes must be called in when needed to meet the standards. Official rule text
High · Dec 16, 2021 · Inspection
During review of fire safety the operation was found to not have a current fire inspection.
In plain English: The center must have a fire inspection by a state or local fire marshal before its first permit is issued and at least once every 12 months. Centers in public school buildings run by the local school district are exempt, and if no inspection is available the center must get written proof of that from a fire marshal or county judge. Official rule text
Based on the kinds of rules cited at Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest:
More in ZIP 77018 and all of Houston.
This page reports the state’s records for Children's Lighthouse of Oak Forest; 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).