Pace - St. John Head Start Center
Pace - St. John Head Start Center is a licensed child care center in Gardena, CA, licensed for up to 45 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2003. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 2 times and investigated 2 complaints, 1 of them substantiated. 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 #8 of 20 centers in Gardena and has more citations per inspection than 45% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
(a) The childcare center shall be clean, safe, sanitary and in good repair 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. 1 Facility will provide LPA with documentation showing regular pest control services no later than (one week from date of visit).
Complaint investigations
Physical Plant- Licensee does not ensure the facility is free from rodents.
How often are complaints about daycares in Los Angeles County substantiated? See the county-by-county report →
About this center
Common questions
Does Pace - St. John Head Start Center take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Pace - St. John Head Start Center had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021. It has 1 Type B citation, listed above.
Have there been complaints about Pace - St. John Head Start Center?
California investigated 2 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 1. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Pace - St. John Head Start Center compare with other daycares in Gardena?
It is tied for #8 of 20 centers in Gardena 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 Pace - St. John Head Start Center last inspected?
Sep 8, 2025. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Pace - St. John Head Start Center cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Pace - St. John Head Start Center for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Los Angeles County, which includes Gardena, was $1,087 a month for preschoolers (about $1,370 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Pace - St. John Head Start Center?
The licensee is Pacific Asian Consortium In Employment (Pace), and the administrator listed with the state is Lydia Vargas.
Licensed centers nearby
14420 Crenshaw Blvd, Gardena · under 0.1 mi away · 16 spotsAbout typicalKum Ran Church Preschool
3153 W. Marine Ave, Gardena · 0.4 mi away · 48 spotsAmong the most citedCoalicion De Latinos Americanos, INC.
3130 W. 139th Street, Hawthorne · 0.4 mi away · 40 spotsAmong the most citedLaep Early Head Start Childcare Center
13928 Kornblum Avenue, Hawthorne · 0.7 mi away · 32 spotsToo few inspections to compareHawthorne School District Preschool
13928 Kornblum Ave, Hawthorne · 0.7 mi away · 160 spotsAbout typicalVan Ness Pre-school & Kinder
15408 Van Ness Avenue, Gardena · 0.8 mi away · 105 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 197410785 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.