Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC
Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC is a licensed child care center in Palm Desert, CA, licensed for up to 101 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 1997. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times and investigated 1 complaint, 0 of them substantiated. The state issued 3 citations, 0 of them Type A (the most serious), most often for building & playground safety (3 of 3). 2 citations came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #9 of 18 centers in Palm Desert and better than 40% of licensed centers statewide.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above where upon tour, LPA observed in Room #2 a countertop that is constantly wet, and is peeling upward and is in need of repair. This poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above where a trash receptacle was found that did not have a tight fitting cover. The receptacle itself had a broken lid which needed to be replaced. Additionally, there are recycle trashcans in use in every classroom; however, in Room #2, there was discarded food in the can with no lid. This poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on observation the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that a toilet auger snake with bulb head, plunger and items needing disposal were accessible to children in the outdoor activity space which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Complaint investigations
About this center
Common questions
Does Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021. It has 3 Type B citations, listed above.
Have there been complaints about Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC?
California investigated 1 complaint since 2021 and substantiated 0. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC compare with other daycares in Palm Desert?
It is tied for #9 of 18 centers in Palm Desert by weighted citations per inspection, and is better than 40% of licensed centers statewide (out of 10,948 California centers with enough inspection history).
When was Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC last inspected?
Jan 9, 2026. The state issued at least one citation during that visit.
How much does Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Riverside County, which includes Palm Desert, was $856 a month for preschoolers (about $1,080 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Desert YMCA/jean M. Benson CDC?
The licensee is Family YMCA Of The Desert, and the administrator listed with the state is Cristy Harshaw.
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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 334803473 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.