Daycare Record Child care inspection records

Grace Harbor Church and School · Infant Center, Tustin

12881 Newport Avenue, Tustin, CA 92780 · Orange County
3 substantiated complaints Infant center

Grace Harbor Church and School is a licensed child care center in Tustin, CA, licensed for up to 16 children and serving infants and toddlers. It has held its California license since 1987. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times and investigated 8 complaints, 3 of them substantiated. The state issued 8 citations, 3 of them Type A (the most serious), most often for building & playground safety (3 of 8). None of them came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is #38 of 39 centers in Tustin and has more citations per inspection than 94% of California licensed centers.

Inspection record

More citations than 94% of 10,948 California licensed centers, per inspection, weighted by severity. Among the most cited
#38 of 39 centers in Tustin
3 Type A citations
5 Type B citations
3 Inspections
3 of 8 Complaints substantiated
8 citations from 17 state visits since Feb 8, 2021 · none in the last 12 months · last inspected Jan 30, 2026

Every state visit

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 INSPECTIONS (top) · REPORTS & INVESTIGATIONS (bottom) Jan 30, 2026 · Inspection · no citation Jan 30, 2026 · Report/investigation · no citation May 7, 2025 · Report/investigation · citation found Feb 24, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citation Feb 19, 2025 · Inspection · no citation Jan 29, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citation Oct 25, 2024 · Report/investigation · citation found May 14, 2024 · Report/investigation · no citation Mar 8, 2024 · Report/investigation · no citation Jan 16, 2024 · Report/investigation · no citation Oct 6, 2023 · Report/investigation · no citation Jun 19, 2023 · Inspection · no citation May 24, 2023 · Report/investigation · no citation May 17, 2023 · Report/investigation · citation found Mar 9, 2023 · Report/investigation · no citation Aug 26, 2022 · Report/investigation · citation found Aug 26, 2022 · Report/investigation · citation found
Citation issued No citation Top row: inspections · bottom row: complaint investigations and other visits

What inspectors cited most

Building & playground safety 3
Records & paperwork 2
Caregiver conduct 1
Staff ratios 1
Other standards 1

Citations, newest first

Type B May 7, 2025 Complaint investigation Building & playground safety
Buildings and grounds §101238(a)
Based on observation and interview, the metal base of the pole that holds the shade was broken and the broken part, which is accessible to children, was sharp and rusty. This poses a potential risk to health and safety of children in care
Plan of correction due Jun 9, 2025
Type B May 7, 2025 Complaint investigation Building & playground safety
Outdoor activity space §101238.2(e)
Based on interview, the mat was temporarily placed to prevent children from scrstching their legs on the original cushioning which was rough to touch
Plan of correction due Jun 9, 2025
Type B Oct 25, 2024 Complaint investigation Records & paperwork
Reporting requirements §101212(f)
Based on staff interviews and record reviews, the facility did not report to Child 1's (C1) authorized representative (AR) about an unusual incident that occurred between C1 and C2 in the classroom. Report was given upon the request of AR. This poses a potential risk to health and safety of children in care. 8 Director stated they will look into revisiting with Startwell in dealing well with children and families.
Plan of correction due Nov 25, 2024
Type A May 17, 2023 Case management visit (incident) Caregiver conduct
Personal rights §101223(a)(2)
Based on LPA’s observation and interview, C1 sustained injury in the facility while in care. This is an immediate risk to the health and safety of children in care.
Plan of correction due May 18, 2023
Type A Aug 26, 2022 Complaint investigation Staff ratios
Staff-infant ratio §101416.5(a)(b)
Based on interviews with staff, on 5/27/22 S4 was alone with 6 infants in the toddler room for 10 minutes. This poses an immediate risk to the health and safety of the children in care.
Plan of correction due Aug 26, 2022
Type A Aug 26, 2022 Complaint investigation Other standards
Infant Care Personal Services §101428(b)(2)
Based on observations, interviews and records reviewed S2 did not change the infant’s diapers with frequency to maintain a clean and dry diaper at all times, also causing for children’s diaper rash. This poses an immediate risk to the health and safety of the children in care.
Plan of correction due Aug 26, 2022
Type B Aug 26, 2022 Complaint investigation Building & playground safety
Buildings and grounds §101238(a)
Based on observations and interviews, staff do not wear booties inside the infant classroom, and facility was not properly disinfected in which it caused multiple cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease. This poses a potential health and safety of the children’s in care.
Plan of correction due Aug 26, 2022
Type B Aug 26, 2022 Case management visit (deficiencies) Records & paperwork
Reporting requirements §101212(d)(1)(C)
Based on observations and interviews Director did not report the multiple cases of hand, foot, mouth disease that occurred in the infant center to licensing office or department of public health. This poses a potential risk to the health and safety to the children in care.
Plan of correction due Aug 26, 2022

Complaint investigations

Not substantiated Jan 30, 2026 Complaint investigation received Jan 27, 2026
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
Substantiated May 7, 2025 Complaint investigation received Feb 28, 2025
Substantiated allegations:
Buildings and Grounds (Safety)
Fixtures, Furniture, Equipment and Supplies (Cabinet)
2 citations issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.
Not substantiated Jan 29, 2025 Complaint investigation received Dec 13, 2024
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
Substantiated Oct 25, 2024 Complaint investigation received Sep 27, 2024
At least one allegation was substantiated. The state’s report lists which.
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.
Not substantiated May 14, 2024 Complaint investigation received Mar 15, 2024
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
Not substantiated Mar 8, 2024 Complaint investigation received Jan 10, 2024
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
Not substantiated May 24, 2023 Complaint investigation received May 18, 2023
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
Substantiated Aug 26, 2022 Complaint investigation received Jun 20, 2022
Substantiated allegations:
Daycare child sustained pink eye.
Classroom operating out of ratio.
Staff not meeting daycare child’s diapering needs resulting in a diaper rash.
Staff does not provide clean and sanitary environment.
3 citations issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.

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

About this center

Licensed capacity 16 children
License type Infant center
License status Licensed
Licensed since Dec 16, 1987
Licensee Tustin First Baptist Church
Administrator Cynthia Estep
Phone (714) 544-4431
State facility # 300606476
Parent reviews Google Maps reviews
Not checked by Daycare Record

Other licenses at this address

Common questions

Does Grace Harbor Church and School take infants?

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

Has Grace Harbor Church and School had any serious violations?

California issued 3 Type A citations since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on May 17, 2023, for personal rights. Each citation is listed in full above.

Have there been complaints about Grace Harbor Church and School?

California investigated 8 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 3. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.

How does Grace Harbor Church and School compare with other daycares in Tustin?

It is #38 of 39 centers in Tustin by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 94% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.

When was Grace Harbor Church and School last inspected?

Jan 30, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.

How much does Grace Harbor Church and School cost?

California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Grace Harbor Church and School for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Tustin, was $1,584 a month for infants (about $2,000 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.

Who runs Grace Harbor Church and School?

The licensee is Tustin First Baptist Church, and the administrator listed with the state is Cynthia Estep.

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 300606476 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.