Licensed Child Care Center · Houston, TX 77008
Between Oct 20, 2021 and Oct 20, 2026, the state cited Heights Garden Montessori for 26 deficiencies — the Texas HHSC term for rule violations — over 11 routine inspections and 2 other visits (investigations or paperwork reviews); 1 was under rules the state weights High. The rule cited most often here is 746.4907 (3 times, most recently Jul 30, 2026).
The state lists Heights Garden Montessori as serving infant, toddler, pre-kindergarten, and school-age children, open 07:30 AM to 05:30 PM (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri). Programs on file: School Age Care, After School Care, Skill Classes. Program type: Child Care Program.
Of the 26 violations at Heights Garden Montessori, 1 falls under rules Texas weights High and 14 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 | 1 | 4% |
| Medium High | 14 | 54% |
| Medium | 10 | 38% |
| Medium Low | 1 | 4% |
| Low | 0 | 0% |
Heights Garden Montessori had 26 violations in five years, more than the median of 11 across Houston’s 923 licensed child care centers, and 2.2 per routine inspection against a median of 1.0 — a count of state records, not a rating.
5 rules were cited more than once at Heights Garden Montessori in the last five years.
| Rule | Times | What the rule covers |
|---|---|---|
| 746.4907 Medium High | 3 | Loose-fill surfacing under play equipment must be kept at least six inches deep when the highest play surface is five feet or lower, and at least nine inches deep when it is higher. It may not be laid over concrete or asphalt or used indoors, and equipment posts must be marked to show the required depth. Official rule text Most recent: Jul 30, 2026 · first: Jun 28, 2022 |
| 746.3819 Medium High | 2 | For each child with a food allergy diagnosed by a health-care professional, the center must have a food allergy emergency plan signed and dated by the child's health-care professional and parent. A copy must be kept in the child's file. Official rule text Most recent: Aug 27, 2024 · first: Sep 14, 2022 |
| 746.501 Medium | 2 | The center must have written policies on a long list of topics, including hours, how children are released, illness and exclusion, medication, medical emergencies, discipline, infant sleep, meals, immunizations, physical activity, parent rights, and its emergency plan. It must also tell parents that the area within 1,000 feet of the center is a gang-free zone. Official rule text · rule revised August 2024 Most recent: Sep 7, 2023 · first: Sep 7, 2023 |
| 746.603 Medium | 2 | 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 Most recent: Sep 7, 2023 · first: Sep 7, 2023 |
| 746.3407 Medium High | 2 | 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 19, 2022 · first: Jun 28, 2022 |
| Year | Routine inspections | All state visits | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (from Oct 20) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| 2023 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
13 visits on record since Oct 20, 2021, newest first, including visits that found nothing.
| Date | Type | Rules checked | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026 | Inspection | 620 | 1 |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Inspection | 662 | 1 |
| Aug 27, 2024 | Inspection | 614 | 6 |
| Sep 7, 2023 | Inspection | 641 | 8 |
| Aug 17, 2023 | Inspection | 1 | None |
| Aug 15, 2023 | Investigation (report) | 3 | 1 |
| Sep 27, 2022 | Inspection | 1 | None |
| Sep 14, 2022 | Inspection | 563 | 2 |
| Jul 27, 2022 | Inspection | 4 | None |
| Jul 19, 2022 | Inspection | 100 | 4 |
| Jun 28, 2022 | Inspection | 5 | 2 |
| Jun 10, 2022 | Inspection | 22 | None |
| Date | Type | Rules checked | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2022 | Assessment | 1 | 1 |
3 rules cited at Heights Garden Montessori 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 · Jul 30, 2026 · Inspection
The playground was observed having less than 6 inches of required loose fill surfacing during the inspection.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Aug 22, 2025 · Inspection
The operation has a broken playground border on their playground. The operatoin has exposed nails on their playground.
In plain English: 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
Medium High · Aug 27, 2024 · Inspection
The operation did not have a fire drill in the month of July.
In plain English: The center must hold a fire drill every month, and the children must be able to get out of the building within three minutes. It must also hold a severe-weather sheltering drill and a lock-down drill at least four times a year each, and record the date, time, and length of every drill. Official rule text
Medium High · Aug 27, 2024 · Inspection
In both buildings they was not a carbon monoxide detectors installed. Corrected: When the operation installed the carbon monoxide detectors.
Official text of rule 746.5535
Medium High · Aug 27, 2024 · Inspection
The operation did not have a emergency evacuation relocation diagram in pre-school classroom in the second building. Corrected: When the operation placed fan emergency evacuation relocation diagram in the pre-school classroom.
In plain English: The center must keep an emergency diagram on file showing its floor plan, two exit paths from each room (unless the room opens straight outside at ground level), the outdoor meeting spot, and the indoor spot for sheltering from severe weather. A copy must be posted near the entrance or exit of every room children use, where children and staff can easily see it. Official rule text
Medium High · Aug 27, 2024 · Inspection
One child food allergy plan was not signed by the doctor and another child did not have a food allergy plan on file.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium · Aug 27, 2024 · Inspection
The operation did not have documentation for the unitary surfacing materials installed on the second playground.
Official text of rule 746.4913
Medium · Aug 27, 2024 · Inspection
The operation had two medications (EpiPens) they had expired on 1/31/2024 and 1/13/2024.
In plain English: The center must throw away medication or return it to the parent when the child leaves the center, when the medication is out of date, or when the child no longer needs it. Official rule text
Medium · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
The operational policies did not state how parents can contact the local licensing office or the abuse and neglect line.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised August 2024
Medium · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
The operational policies did not state where parents can view the most recent inspection form.
Plain-English explanation above · rule revised August 2024
Medium High · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
Three children are missing an address for their emergency contact information.
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 · rule revised September 2024
Medium · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
Two children are missing their health care statement.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
The play structure did not have at least six inch of surfacing around the play structure.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
The director is missing 30 hours of annual training for training year June 2022 to June 2023. Corrected: When 30 hours of annual training was taken for training year June 2023 to June 2024.
In plain English: A center director must complete 30 hours of training each year that fits the ages of the children served, including at least six hours on topics such as child development or guidance and discipline, at least one hour on preventing, recognizing, and reporting child abuse and neglect, and three to six hours on management or staff supervision depending on experience. At least six of the hours must be instructor-led. Official rule text
Medium · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
One caregiver is missing 4 hours of annual training for training year 6/20/2022 to 6/20/2023. Corrected: When 4 hours of annual training was taken from 6/20/2023 to 6/20/2024.
In plain English: A caregiver's 24 hours of yearly training must fit the ages of the children in their care and cover set topics, including at least six hours on areas such as child development or guidance and discipline, and at least one hour on preventing, recognizing, and reporting child abuse and neglect. At least five of the hours must be instructor-led, and caregivers of children under 24 months must also have one hour on shaken baby syndrome, infant sleep practices and SIDS, and early brain development. Official rule text · rule revised September 2024
Medium · Sep 7, 2023 · Inspection
One child is missing immunization records.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Aug 15, 2023 · Investigation (report)
The operation had one of the exit doors blocked with a shelf.
Official text of rule 746.5209
High · Sep 14, 2022 · Inspection
A caregiver was observed caring for children with a pending background.
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 · Sep 14, 2022 · Inspection
A child with a know allergy did not have a allergy plan on file.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium · Jul 19, 2022 · Inspection
The operation is using space that is not permitted by licensing.
In plain English: The center must tell the state in writing before making certain changes, such as moving, adding or reducing indoor or outdoor space, adding a pool, changing the ages served or the hours of operation, or offering new services like transportation or field trips. Advance notice is also required for a planned closure of five or more days in a row (other than national holidays), going out of business, or a change in ownership. Official rule text
Medium High · Jul 19, 2022 · Inspection
The side gate still have broken and lose boards. Corrected: When the caregiver went out to put the boards on the gate.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium · Jul 19, 2022 · Inspection
The director did not have a time sheet or documentation on when she is present at the operation.
In plain English: The center must keep certain records ready for state review during operating hours, including children's records, staff and training records, the director's certificate, staff time sheets, proof of liability insurance (or written notice to parents that it has none), playground checklists, and records of emergency drills, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors. It must also keep its most recent fire, sanitation, and (if needed) gas inspection reports and its daily sign-in and sign-out system. Official rule text
Medium High · Jul 19, 2022 · Inspection
The pre-school classroom was out of ratio, when the caregiver came to open the gate and when she walked out the classroom to come to the front office area. There was one caregiver in the classroom with 18 children SAG 3 years old.
In plain English: When 13 or more children are in care, a group, even with two or more caregivers, may have at most 10 infants under 12 months, 13 children 12 to 17 months, 18 children 18 to 23 months, 22 two-year-olds, 30 three-year-olds, or 35 children ages four through 13. The limit is based on the group's specified age. Official rule text (single-rule page)
Medium High · Jun 28, 2022 · Inspection
The operation did not maintain loose-fill surfacing materials they do not have a least six inches for the play area that is greater than five feet or less.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium High · Jun 28, 2022 · Inspection
The side gate had broken and lose boards.
Plain-English explanation above
Medium Low · Feb 28, 2022 · Assessment
A review of the Employees Who Left Employment in 2021 data from February 23, 2022, revealed that the center had not reported the number of employees who left employment in 2021 by February 22, 2022, as required.
In plain English: The center must tell the state in writing within five days when its designee, the head of its governing body, their address, or its director changes. Each year by January 15, it must report online how many employees stopped working there during the previous year. Official rule text
Based on the kinds of rules cited at Heights Garden Montessori:
More in ZIP 77008 and all of Houston.
This page reports the state’s records for Heights Garden Montessori; 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).