Castle Head Start/Early Head Start
Castle Head Start/Early Head Start is a licensed child care center in Atwater, CA, licensed for up to 8 children and serving infants and toddlers. It has held its California license since 2014. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times. No visit in that period produced a citation, which puts it among the 34% of ranked California centers with no citations. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #1 of 16 centers in Atwater and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
Inspection record
Every state visit
Citations, newest first
About this center
Common questions
Does Castle Head Start/Early Head Start take infants?
Yes. It is licensed by California as an infant center.
Has Castle Head Start/Early Head Start had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021.
How does Castle Head Start/Early Head Start compare with other daycares in Atwater?
It is tied for #1 of 16 centers in Atwater by weighted citations per inspection, and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
When was Castle Head Start/Early Head Start last inspected?
Aug 20, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Castle Head Start/Early Head Start cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Castle Head Start/Early Head Start for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Merced County, which includes Atwater, was $1,177 a month for infants (about $1,490 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Castle Head Start/Early Head Start?
The licensee is Merced County Office Of Ed. Head Start, and the administrator listed with the state is Maria Rosie Martinez.
Licensed centers nearby
2050 Academy, Atwater · under 0.1 mi away · 76 spotsAmong the most citedBellevue Head Start
1020 East Bellevue Road, Atwater · 0.8 mi away · 20 spotsNo citationsBellevue Preschool
1020 E Bellevue Road, Atwater · 0.8 mi away · 24 spotsNo citationsShaffer Preschool
1434 California Street, Atwater · 1.9 mi away · 24 spotsAbout typicalMitchell Head Start
1791 Grove Avenue, Atwater · 2.4 mi away · 20 spotsMore citations than mostSt. Anthony Preschool
1801 Winton Way, Atwater · 2.4 mi away · 45 spotsMore citations than most
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 243808871 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 3, 2026.