Danielson Head Start
Danielson Head Start is a licensed child care center in Merced, CA, licensed for up to 55 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2015. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times. The state issued 1 citation, 0 of them Type A (the most serious). None came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is #18 of 36 centers in Merced and better than 61% of licensed centers statewide.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
(a)California’s Action Level for lead in water at Child Care Centers is 5ppb.(b) Testing results with fractional ppb readings of 0.5ppb or greater shall be rounded up..., before comparing to the Action Level. (1) A result with values of 5.5ppb...Action Level Exceedance. (c) If testing indicates an Action Level 1 LPA observed faucet has been removed and capped off. Site Supervisor Elizabeth McGowan confirmed children will continue to receive water from Alhambra bottle services to provide drinking water to children in care. POC has been completed in July 2023. Exceedance at any water outlet...This requirement was not met by evidence by: Based on record review provided by Dellavalle outlet 243808924 D in classroom B kitchen sink had a lead exceedance of 15.0.Which is out of compliance over the allowable ALE 5.5ppb. This poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. 8
About this center
Common questions
Does Danielson Head Start take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Danielson Head Start had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021. It has 1 Type B citation, listed above.
How does Danielson Head Start compare with other daycares in Merced?
It is #18 of 36 centers in Merced by weighted citations per inspection, and is better than 61% of licensed centers statewide (out of 10,948 California centers with enough inspection history).
When was Danielson Head Start last inspected?
Aug 26, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Danielson Head Start cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Danielson Head Start for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Merced County, which includes Merced, was $730 a month for preschoolers (about $920 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Danielson Head Start?
The licensee is Merced County Office Of Education Head Start, and the administrator listed with the state is Renee Lawrence.
Licensed centers nearby
760 W 8th Street, Merced · 0.3 mi away · 28 spotsToo few inspections to compareMargaret Sheehy Preschool
1240 W 6th St, Merced · 0.7 mi away · 21 spotsAbout typicalMerced Montessori School
436 W 21st St, Merced · 0.7 mi away · 22 spotsToo few inspections to compareMerced Montessori School
424 W 21st St, Merced · 0.7 mi away · 30 spotsToo few inspections to compareGalen Clark Preschool
211 E 11th St, Merced · 0.8 mi away · 68 spotsNo citationsGalen Clark Head Start
213 E 11th St, Merced · 0.8 mi away · 28 spotsNo citations
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 243808924 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.