Daycare RecordChild care inspection records

Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center

120 Yellowstone Dr, Chico, CA 95973 · Butte County
2 substantiated complaintsInfant center

Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center is a licensed child care center in Chico, CA, licensed for up to 16 children and serving infants and toddlers. It has held its California license since 2021. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times and investigated 4 complaints, 2 of them substantiated. The state issued 7 citations, 1 of them Type A (the most serious), most often for training & qualifications (3 of 7). 3 citations came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #38 of 47 centers in Chico and has more citations per inspection than 83% of California licensed centers.

Inspection record

More citations than 83%of 10,948 California licensed centers, per inspection, weighted by severity. More citations than most
Tied for #38 of 47 centers in Chico
1Type A citations
6Type B citations
4Inspections
2 of 4Complaints substantiated
7 citations from 9 state visits since Feb 8, 2021 · 3 in the last 12 months · last inspected Dec 18, 2025

Every state visit

20222023202420252026INSPECTIONS (top) · REPORTS & INVESTIGATIONS (bottom)Dec 18, 2025 · Inspection · citation foundApr 29, 2025 · Inspection · no citationJul 16, 2024 · Report/investigation · citation foundApr 23, 2024 · Inspection · no citationApr 18, 2024 · Report/investigation · no citationFeb 2, 2023 · Inspection · no citationSep 22, 2022 · Report/investigation · citation foundJun 8, 2022 · Report/investigation · citation foundNov 16, 2021 · Report/investigation · no citation
Citation issuedNo citationTop row: inspections · bottom row: complaint investigations and other visits

What inspectors cited most

Training & qualifications3
Staff ratios2
Health & medication1
Sleep safety1

Citations, newest first

Type BDec 18, 2025InspectionTraining & qualifications
Staff health screening and personnel requirements §101216(g)(1)
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in one out of four staff files missing LIC 503 Health screening which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Plan of correction due Jan 2, 2026
Type BDec 18, 2025InspectionTraining & qualifications
Mandated reporter training §1596.8662(b)(1)
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in one out of four staff files (S1) missing current mandated reporter training (exp 6/2025) which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Plan of correction due Dec 29, 2025
Type BDec 18, 2025InspectionHealth & medication
General Provisions and Definitions §1596.799(b)
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in one infant (C2) missing physician's report and updated immunizations which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Plan of correction due Jan 9, 2026
Type BJul 16, 2024Complaint investigationStaff ratios
Staff-infant ratio §101416.5(b)
101416.5 Staff-Infant Ratio: (b) There shall be a ratio of one teacher for every four infants in attendance. This regulation was not met as evidence by: Licensee will provide a written statement providing that they understand infant ratio requirements https://ccld.childcarevideos.org/child-care-center-operators/teacher-child-ratios-in-child-care-centers/ Based on record review and interviews, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care. Licensee will submit a written statement and send to CCLD by 7/26/24
Plan of correction due Jul 16, 2024
Type BJul 16, 2024Complaint investigationTraining & qualifications
Infant care teacher qualifications §101416.2(f)
101416.2 Infant Care Teacher Qualifications and Duties: (f) Teachers shall visually observe aides whenever aides are working with infants, except as provided for in Section 101416.5(d)(1). This regulation was not met as evidence by: 1 Licensee will provide a written statement providing that they understand and define qualification of staff. Based on interviews and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which 2 of 3 staff in the infant classroom does not have infant units, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care. 8 Will submit written statement to CCLD by 7/26/24
Plan of correction due Jul 16, 2024
Type ASep 22, 2022Complaint investigationSleep safety
Infant Safe Sleep §102425(i)(j)
i) If an infant falls asleep before being placed in a crib or play yard, the povider shall move the infant to a crib or play yard as soon as possible. (j) The provider shall supervise infants while they are sleeping and adhere to the following requirements: 1 LPM will provide licensee with safe sleep training links. Licensee will have meeting/training and staff to go gover the safe sleep regulations. Licensee will submit to LPA an agenda for safe sleep training by 9/22/22. This requirement was met not as evidenced based on staff and parent interviews. Staff did not ensure infants were provided safe sleep equipmenent by allowing them to sleep in swings. 8
Plan of correction due Sep 22, 2022
Type BJun 8, 2022Complaint investigationStaff ratios
Staff-infant ratio §101416.5(b)
(b) There shall be a ratio of one teacher for every four infants in attendance. Licensee/director will ensure that they meet ratio requirements with their list of fully qualified staff and update personnel files for those qualified and submit to LPA Mendez their plan of correction by 6/17/22 This requirement was not met as evidenced based on LPA’s interviews. Licensee did not ensure that staff were within ratio. 8
Plan of correction due Jun 8, 2022

Complaint investigations

SubstantiatedJul 16, 2024Complaint investigationreceived May 20, 2024
Substantiated allegations:
Staff are operating over ratio
Unqualified staff are providing care & supervision to children
2 citations issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.
Not substantiatedApr 18, 2024Complaint investigationreceived Jan 23, 2024
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
Not substantiatedSep 22, 2022Complaint investigationreceived Aug 1, 2022
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.
SubstantiatedJun 8, 2022Complaint investigationreceived Mar 1, 2022
Substantiated allegation:
Facility is out of ratio
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.

How often are complaints about daycares in California substantiated? See the county-by-county report →

About this center

Licensed capacity16 children
License typeInfant center
License statusLicensed
Licensed sinceDec 16, 2021
LicenseeNicole Ray
AdministratorNicole Ray
Phone(530) 809-2468
State facility #045407981

Common questions

Does Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center take infants?

Yes. It is licensed by California as an infant center.

Has Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center had any serious violations?

California issued 1 Type A citation since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Sep 22, 2022, for infant safe sleep. Each citation is listed in full above.

Have there been complaints about Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center?

California investigated 4 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 2. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.

How does Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center compare with other daycares in Chico?

It is tied for #38 of 47 centers in Chico by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 83% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.

When was Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center last inspected?

Dec 18, 2025. The state issued at least one citation during that visit.

How much does Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center cost?

California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Butte County, which includes Chico, was $1,105 a month for infants (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.

Who runs Creative Scholars Academy Infant Center?

The licensee is Nicole Ray, and the administrator listed with the state is Nicole Ray.

Licensed centers nearby

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 045407981 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.