Christ Lutheran Preschool · Costa Mesa
Christ Lutheran Preschool is a licensed child care center in Costa Mesa, CA, licensed for up to 140 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 1980. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times and investigated 2 complaints, 1 of them substantiated. The state issued 4 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 #31 of 47 centers in Costa Mesa and has more citations per inspection than 79% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
101161 Limitations on Capacity (a) A licensee shall not operate a child care center beyond the conditions and limitations specified on the license, including the capacity limitation. This requirement was not met: Based on observations, interview and.. 1 Director stated they will obtain parents/guardian's consent to move children 2 years and older to the preschool classroom. Director stated there are currently 5 toddlers between the age of 18-36 months; toddlers will be moved back file review, it has been determined the facility is over capacity. Facility is only licensed for 7 toddler and there are currently 13 toddlers enrolled and attending. This poses/posed an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. 8 into Room #117 by
101237 (a) Alterations to Existing Buildings or New Facilities …Prior to construction or alterations, the licensee shall notify the Department of the proposed change(s). Based on observations, interview and file review, it has been determined the facility is using a classroom that is not licensed for 1 Director stated toddlers 18-36 months will be moved out of the classroom and back to the original licensed room. Director also stated an application will be submitted to request usage of room #107 for their toddler component by
101700.3 California Lead Action Level at Child Care Centers (b) Testing results with fractional ppb readings of 5.0 ppb or greater shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number, before comparing to the Action Level. (1) A result with values of 5.5 ppb or greater shall be deemed an Action Level Exceedance. 1 LPA observed site ID B the outlet has a bag over the faucet and has a sign that reads "Do Not Use." Children in care bring own individual water bottles from home. Facility also provides drinking water for children in care using a water jug filled with water from an outlet that did not exceed the levels of lead. Facility will re-test and submit results to LPA Duron. Based on lab report analysis water from outlet B (27.000 parts per billion) taken on 1/11/2023 indicated levels of lead in exceedance. Staff stated the outlet tested did have levels of lead in exceedance of 5.5. Outlet has been replaced and will be re-tested. 8
Based on LPA observation of two ferrets inside the office and interview with facility representative Lisa Holloway on 08/10/22 stating she does not have permits for the ferrets.
How common are lead-in-water citations in Orange County? See the county-by-county report →
Complaint investigations
Staff maintain animals in the childcare that are illegal in California
How often are complaints about daycares in Orange County substantiated? See the county-by-county report →
About this center
Common questions
Does Christ Lutheran Preschool take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Christ Lutheran Preschool had any serious violations?
California issued 1 Type A citation since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Apr 29, 2025, for capacity limits. Each citation is listed in full above.
Have there been complaints about Christ Lutheran Preschool?
California investigated 2 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 1. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Christ Lutheran Preschool compare with other daycares in Costa Mesa?
It is tied for #31 of 47 centers in Costa Mesa by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 79% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Christ Lutheran Preschool last inspected?
May 19, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Christ Lutheran Preschool cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Christ Lutheran Preschool for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Costa Mesa, was $1,098 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Christ Lutheran Preschool?
The licensee is Christ Lutheran Church Of Costa Mesa, and the administrator listed with the state is Emily Martinez.
Licensed centers nearby
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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 300604497 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 3, 2026.
Comparing centers? See how to choose a daycare: 30 questions to ask and a printable checklist.