Daycare RecordChild care inspection records

Guiding Stars Academy · Preschool, Lincoln

595 A Street, Lincoln, CA 95648 · Placer County
1 Type A citation in last 12 months3 substantiated complaintsChild care center (preschool)

Guiding Stars Academy is a licensed child care center in Lincoln, CA, licensed for up to 30 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2020. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 5 times and investigated 3 complaints, 3 of them substantiated. The state issued 5 citations, 3 of them Type A (the most serious), most often for building & playground safety (2 of 5). 2 citations came in the last 12 months, including 1 Type A. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is #12 of 14 centers in Lincoln 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
#12 of 14 centers in Lincoln
3Type A citations
2Type B citations
5Inspections
3 of 3Complaints substantiated
5 citations from 12 state visits since Feb 8, 2021 · 2 in the last 12 months · last inspected Nov 14, 2025

Every state visit

20222023202420252026INSPECTIONS (top) · REPORTS & INVESTIGATIONS (bottom)Jul 30, 2026 · Report/investigation · citation foundMar 3, 2026 · Report/investigation · no citationFeb 26, 2026 · Report/investigation · citation foundNov 14, 2025 · Inspection · no citationSep 2, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citationJul 31, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citationJul 23, 2025 · Report/investigation · citation foundJul 1, 2025 · Report/investigation · citation foundNov 19, 2024 · Inspection · no citationNov 8, 2023 · Inspection · no citationNov 2, 2022 · Inspection · no citationDec 16, 2021 · Inspection · citation found
Citation issuedNo citationTop row: inspections · bottom row: complaint investigations and other visits

What inspectors cited most

Building & playground safety2
Caregiver conduct1
Staff ratios1
Supervision1

Citations, newest first

Type BJul 30, 2026Complaint investigationBuilding & playground safety
Buildings and grounds §101238(a)(1)
interviews and observations of a smell coming from the chicken coop. Also, the flies surrounding the chicken coop which is a potential health and safety risk to the children in care. 8 The director agreed to continue to inspect the coop daily. LPA will return for to clearn the deficiency.
Plan of correction due Aug 31, 2026
Type AFeb 26, 2026Complaint investigationCaregiver conduct
Personal rights §101223(a)(3)
Based on witness statements and documentation reviewed, it was determined that a staff yelled at day care child after believing the child was attempting to run out the door. It was further confirmed that the staff member's tone was inappropriate and that yelling at close proximity to the child’s face was unnecessary which poses an immediate health, safety, or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Plan of correction due Feb 27, 2026
Type AJul 23, 2025Complaint investigationStaff ratios
Capacity limits §101161(a)
LPA observation of 4 infants LPA will conduct a return inspection to confirm that the facility is adhering to the ages stated on the license and that the children who are not 2 are not combined with the preschool children. combined with 6 preschool children and interviews that confirmed the combination of the children which posses an immediate health & safety risk to the children in care.
Plan of correction due Jul 24, 2025
Type AJul 1, 2025Case management visit (incident)Supervision
Care and supervision §101229(a)(1)
an incident report 1 The director stated a new procedure was implemented that now requires a second staff member to do head counts before the kids go inside and once all the children are inside. and the interview with the director that disclosed a child was inadvertently left outside with no supervision which is an immediate health and safety risk to the children in care. 8 A memo was created to address the update and staff will sign the memo to acknowledge the change. Amber will email to LPA L. Habtom once all staff have signed it to clear deficiency.
Plan of correction due Jul 2, 2025
Type BDec 16, 2021InspectionBuilding & playground safety
Buildings and grounds §101238(a)
Based on observation LPA observed four toilets in the children's bathrooms. Two of the four toilets were not working. If not corrected, this could pose a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Plan of correction due Jan 6, 2022

Complaint investigations

SubstantiatedJul 30, 2026Complaint investigationreceived Jul 27, 2026
Substantiated allegations:
Staff do not keep outdoor area free from chicken coop odor
Cleanliness of the chicken coop is a health hazard to the children in care
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.
SubstantiatedFeb 26, 2026Complaint investigationreceived Dec 18, 2025
Substantiated allegation:
Staff member yelled at day care child in care.
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.
SubstantiatedJul 23, 2025Complaint investigationreceived Jul 16, 2025
Substantiated allegation:
The facility is commingling infants and preschool children
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.

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

About this center

Licensed capacity30 children
License typeChild care center (preschool)
License statusLicensed
Licensed sinceJan 29, 2020
LicenseePolaris Education INC.
AdministratorAmber Williams
Phone(916) 645-1099
State facility #313623396

Other licenses at this address

Common questions

Does Guiding Stars Academy take infants?

Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children. An infant center is licensed separately at the same address (listed below).

Has Guiding Stars Academy had any serious violations?

California issued 3 Type A citations since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Feb 26, 2026, for personal rights. Each citation is listed in full above.

Have there been complaints about Guiding Stars Academy?

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

How does Guiding Stars Academy compare with other daycares in Lincoln?

It is #12 of 14 centers in Lincoln 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 Guiding Stars Academy last inspected?

Nov 14, 2025. No citations were issued during that visit.

How much does Guiding Stars Academy cost?

California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Guiding Stars Academy for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Placer County, which includes Lincoln, was $1,060 a month for preschoolers (about $1,340 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.

Who runs Guiding Stars Academy?

The licensee is Polaris Education INC., and the administrator listed with the state is Amber Williams.

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 313623396 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.