Appletree Montessori
Appletree Montessori is a licensed child care center in Mission Viejo, CA, licensed for up to 109 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 1987. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times and investigated 3 complaints, 0 of them substantiated. The state issued 2 citations, 1 of them Type A (the most serious). None came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #23 of 33 centers in Mission Viejo and has more citations per inspection than 61% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on observation, interview, and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above. LPA observed staff #1 (S1) who was inside classroom #2 caring for 18 children at the time of visit, did not have any transcripts available for review. S1 stated she has not completed any of the semester units to be a qualified aide which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
interviewing 1 The facility sent a report to our office in a timely manner. According to paperwork sent to our office and per director, the school administrators took the appropriate action against staff # 1 The licensee agreed to send a statement that 12 staff. One staff witnessed staff # 1 grabbing 20 months old child, aggressively to put the child down and was grabbing the child by child's cheek in one isolated incident. Four other staff commented staff # 1 has been harsh towards children. This is a potential risk to the health and safety of children in care. 8 she reviewed the personal rights of children with staff and she will send a list of the staff that they reviewed the personal rights of children to LPA's email address.
Complaint investigations
About this center
Common questions
Does Appletree Montessori take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Appletree Montessori had any serious violations?
California issued 1 Type A citation since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on May 12, 2025, for teacher-child ratio. Each citation is listed in full above.
Have there been complaints about Appletree Montessori?
California investigated 3 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 0. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Appletree Montessori compare with other daycares in Mission Viejo?
It is tied for #23 of 33 centers in Mission Viejo by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 61% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Appletree Montessori last inspected?
May 14, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Appletree Montessori cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Appletree Montessori for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Mission Viejo, was $1,098 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Appletree Montessori?
The licensee is Environments For Learning, INC., and the administrator listed with the state is Amy Desouza.
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Citations are quoted from California Department of Social Services inspection and complaint reports. Type A citations are the state’s most serious category (an immediate risk to children’s health, safety or personal rights); Type B citations are a potential risk. A citation is a finding about one rule, not a judgment about a center overall. Complaint allegations appear here only when the state substantiated them.
To read the full state reports, search facility number 300606452 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.