Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps
Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps is a licensed child care center in La Mesa, CA, licensed for up to 24 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2005. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 2 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 tied for #12 of 32 centers in La Mesa and has more citations per inspection than 45% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in 1 out of 3 Staff, as Staff 1 did not complete the Mandated Reporter Training which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
About this center
Common questions
Does Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021. It has 1 Type B citation, listed above.
How does Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps compare with other daycares in La Mesa?
It is tied for #12 of 32 centers in La Mesa by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 45% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps last inspected?
Sep 18, 2025. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in San Diego County, which includes La Mesa, was $1,013 a month for preschoolers (about $1,280 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Lmsvsd-maryland Avenue Smart Steps?
The licensee is La Mesa Spring Valley School District, and the administrator listed with the state is Charmaine Lawson.
Licensed centers nearby
5565 Lake Park Way, La Mesa · 0.4 mi away · 72 spotsNo citationsChildtime Children's Center
5565 Lake Park Way, La Mesa · 0.4 mi away · 12 spotsNo citationsChildtime Children's Center
5565 Lake Park Way, La Mesa · 0.4 mi away · 24 spotsMore citations than mostParent Care Family Recovery Center-infant
4990 Williams Avenue, La Mesa · 0.6 mi away · 11 spotsMore citations than mostParent Care Family Recovery Center
4990 Williams Avenue, La Mesa · 0.6 mi away · 28 spotsNo citationsTaproot Montessori Preschool - La Mesa
5173 Guava Ave, La Mesa · 0.6 mi away · 34 spotsToo few inspections to compare
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 376700136 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.