Smart Start Academy
Smart Start Academy is a licensed child care center in Apple Valley, CA, licensed for up to 128 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2007. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times and investigated 2 complaints, 1 of them substantiated. The state issued 2 citations, 0 of them Type A (the most serious). 1 citation came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is #6 of 12 centers in Apple Valley and has more citations per inspection than 46% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on observation, interview, and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in two out of six staff S4 and S5 did not have their mandated reporter training current which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Center did not 1 Center will ensure children and staff wear facial coverings during activities, except during napping and eating. NOTE: LPA observed facial coverings on staff and children during the inspection. Declaration provided. Deficciency cleared during today's inspection. ensure staff and children wore facial covering (mask) during indoor settings (exception: sleeping and eating).
Complaint investigations
Allegation #2: Personal Rights – Staff and children do not wear mask
About this center
Common questions
Does Smart Start Academy take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Smart Start Academy had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021. It has 2 Type B citations, listed above.
Have there been complaints about Smart Start Academy?
California investigated 2 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 1. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Smart Start Academy compare with other daycares in Apple Valley?
It is #6 of 12 centers in Apple Valley by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 46% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Smart Start Academy last inspected?
Jul 8, 2026. The state issued at least one citation during that visit.
How much does Smart Start Academy cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Smart Start Academy for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in San Bernardino County, which includes Apple Valley, was $835 a month for preschoolers (about $1,050 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Smart Start Academy?
The licensee is Melissa Moon, and the administrator listed with the state is Desiree Dupont.
Licensed centers nearby
21351 Yucca Loma Rd., Apple Valley · 0.2 mi away · 24 spotsToo few inspections to comparePsd/Apple Valley Head Start
13589 Navajo Road, Apple Valley · 0.3 mi away · 117 spotsMore citations than mostAvusd Rancho Verde State Preschool
14334 Pioneer Rd., Apple Valley · 1.2 mi away · 24 spotsNo citationsAvusd Vanguard State Preschool
12951 Mesquite Road, Apple Valley · 1.9 mi away · 24 spotsMore citations than mostAvusd Phoenix Academy
20700 Thunderbird, Apple Valley · 2.3 mi away · 72 spotsNo citationsAvusd Sandia State Preschool
21331 Sandia, Apple Valley · 2.5 mi away · 48 spotsNo citations
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 364817862 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.