The Red Apple Preschool
The Red Apple Preschool is a licensed child care center in Lake Forest, CA, licensed for up to 30 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 1 complaint, 0 of them substantiated. The state issued 5 citations, 1 of them Type A (the most serious), most often for training & qualifications (3 of 5). None came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #16 of 22 centers in Lake Forest and has more citations per inspection than 84% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that, Staff 5 (S5) did not obtain criminal record clearance or an exemptiion, which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that, 2 out 4 staff did not completed the mandated reporter training, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that, 4 out 4 staff did not have current influenza or statement to decline on file, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on observation, interview, and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that, two (2) aides/assistant teachers were each with children without the supervision of a teacher, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that, 3 out 4 staff did not have required ECE units or equivalent qualifications, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Complaint investigations
How often are complaints about daycares in Orange County substantiated? See the county-by-county report →
About this center
Common questions
Does The Red Apple Preschool take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has The Red Apple Preschool had any serious violations?
California issued 1 Type A citation since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Nov 22, 2024, for criminal record clearance. Each citation is listed in full above.
Have there been complaints about The Red Apple Preschool?
California investigated 1 complaint since 2021 and substantiated 0. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does The Red Apple Preschool compare with other daycares in Lake Forest?
It is tied for #16 of 22 centers in Lake Forest by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 84% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was The Red Apple Preschool last inspected?
Nov 14, 2025. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does The Red Apple Preschool cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask The Red Apple Preschool for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Lake Forest, was $1,098 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs The Red Apple Preschool?
The licensee is Maryam Foster, and the administrator listed with the state is Maryam Foster.
Licensed centers nearby
24601 Raymond Way, Lake Forest · 0.1 mi away · 52 spotsNo citationsMontessori Children's School House
24601 Raymond Way Ste 8, Lake Forest · 0.1 mi away · 8 spotsAbout typicalAbiding Savior Lutheran Church & School
23262 El Toro Road, Lake Forest · 0.3 mi away · 85 spotsMore citations than mostMilestones Academy Childcare Center, INC.
23184 B El Toro Frontage Road, Lake Forest · 0.4 mi away · 20 spotsMore citations than mostMilestones Academy Childcare Center, INC.
23184 El Toro Frontage Road, Lake Forest · 0.4 mi away · 44 spotsAmong the most citedScholarshine Montessori
24442 Muirlands Blvd, Lake Forest · 0.5 mi away · 64 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 304370817 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 3, 2026.