Daycare RecordChild care inspection records

Hands Together

201 E Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92701 · Orange County
2 substantiated complaintsChild care center (preschool)

Hands Together is a licensed child care center in Santa Ana, CA, licensed for up to 84 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2012. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times and investigated 3 complaints, 2 of them substantiated. The state issued 2 citations, 0 of them Type A (the most serious). None came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #60 of 91 centers in Santa Ana and better than 42% of licensed centers statewide.

Inspection record

Better than 42%of 10,948 California licensed centers, comparing weighted citations per inspection. About typical
Tied for #60 of 91 centers in Santa Ana
0Type A citations
2Type B citations
3Inspections
2 of 3Complaints substantiated
2 citations from 11 state visits since Feb 8, 2021 · 0 in the last 12 months · last inspected Jan 23, 2026

Every state visit

20222023202420252026INSPECTIONS (top) · REPORTS & INVESTIGATIONS (bottom)Jan 23, 2026 · Inspection · no citationDec 8, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citationDec 8, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citationNov 4, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citationFeb 19, 2025 · Inspection · no citationApr 9, 2024 · Report/investigation · no citationDec 15, 2023 · Report/investigation · citation foundMay 4, 2023 · Inspection · no citationMay 4, 2023 · Report/investigation · no citationApr 25, 2023 · Report/investigation · no citationMay 6, 2022 · Report/investigation · citation found
Citation issuedNo citationTop row: inspections · bottom row: complaint investigations and other visits

What inspectors cited most

Records & paperwork1
Building & playground safety1

Citations, newest first

Type BDec 15, 2023Complaint investigationRecords & paperwork
Children's records §101221(b)(5)
101221(b) Each record shall contain information... (5)... of the child's authorized representative and of relatives or others who can assume responsibility for the child if the authorized representative cannot ... This requirement was not met evidence by: 1 Director stated S2 was written up for releasing C1 to A1. Director stated they spoke with S1 and S2 regarding making sure of checking IDs. Director stated they will be having training during their staff meeting on 12/19/23. Director will provide a copy of the sign in sheet by 12/22/23. Based on interviews conducted with staff members. On 09/28/23 S2 did release C1 to an unauthorized adult that was not on the authorized list for pick up. This is a potential Health and Safety risk to the children in care. 8
Plan of correction due Dec 15, 2023
Type BMay 6, 2022Complaint investigationBuilding & playground safety
Buildings and grounds §101238(a)(1)
101238 Buildings and Grounds (a)The child care center shall be clean, safe, sanitary... at all times to ensure the safety and well-being of children, employees and visitors. (1) The licensee shall take measures to keep the center free of flies, other insects, and rodents. This requirement was not met evidence by: Director stated they have scheduled a date to fumigate the childcare center on 5/14/22. Director will also provide a written preventative maintenance plan to licening department by 5/10/22. Based on observation and interviews conducted director and 3 staff members have seen a mouse in different areas of the childcare center on different dates. Staff have also observed roaches in the kitchen and lounge. This is a potential Health and Safety risk to the children in care. 8
Plan of correction due May 6, 2022

Complaint investigations

Not substantiatedDec 8, 2025Complaint investigationreceived Oct 23, 2025
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
SubstantiatedDec 15, 2023Complaint investigationreceived Nov 6, 2023
Substantiated allegation:
Facility released day-care children to an unauthorized adult.
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.
SubstantiatedMay 6, 2022Complaint investigationreceived May 5, 2022
Substantiated allegation:
Facility has pests
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.

About this center

Licensed capacity84 children
License typeChild care center (preschool)
License statusLicensed
Licensed sinceJul 2, 2012
LicenseeHands Together-a Center Of Children
AdministratorKarina Chavez
Phone(714) 479-0294
State facility #304370788

Common questions

Does Hands Together take infants?

Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.

Has Hands Together had any serious violations?

No Type A citations since 2021. It has 2 Type B citations, listed above.

Have there been complaints about Hands Together?

California investigated 3 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 2. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.

How does Hands Together compare with other daycares in Santa Ana?

It is tied for #60 of 91 centers in Santa Ana by weighted citations per inspection, and is better than 42% of licensed centers statewide (out of 10,948 California centers with enough inspection history).

When was Hands Together last inspected?

Jan 23, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.

How much does Hands Together cost?

California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Hands Together for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Santa Ana, was $1,098 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.

Who runs Hands Together?

The licensee is Hands Together-a Center Of Children, and the administrator listed with the state is Karina Chavez.

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 304370788 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.