Daycare RecordChild care inspection records

Solid Start Academy

8964 North Magnolia Avenue, Santee, CA 92071 · San Diego County
1 substantiated complaintChild care center (preschool)

Solid Start Academy is a licensed child care center in Santee, CA, licensed for up to 37 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2022. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 1 time and investigated 2 complaints, 1 of them substantiated. The state issued 11 citations, 2 of them Type A (the most serious), most often for building & playground safety (4 of 11). None came in the last 12 months. It has too few inspections so far for a statewide comparison.

Inspection record

Not enough historyCalifornia has inspected this center 1 time since Feb 8, 2021. Centers are compared once they have at least 2 inspections.
2Type A citations
9Type B citations
1Inspections
1 of 2Complaints substantiated
11 citations from 7 state visits since Feb 8, 2021 · 0 in the last 12 months · last inspected Mar 25, 2025

Every state visit

20222023202420252026INSPECTIONS (top) · REPORTS & INVESTIGATIONS (bottom)Mar 26, 2025 · Report/investigation · no citationMar 25, 2025 · Inspection · citation foundFeb 20, 2024 · Report/investigation · no citationDec 18, 2023 · Report/investigation · citation foundDec 29, 2022 · Report/investigation · no citationOct 26, 2022 · Report/investigation · no citationOct 19, 2022 · Report/investigation · no citation
Citation issuedNo citationTop row: inspections · bottom row: complaint investigations and other visits

What inspectors cited most

Building & playground safety4
Training & qualifications3
Supervision1
Health & medication1
Food & feeding1
Caregiver conduct1

Citations, newest first

Type AMar 25, 2025InspectionSupervision
Care and supervision §101229(a)(1)
Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that there were two children (c1) (c2) observed by LPA and LPM to be walking unsupervised outside the classroom and the classroom door was shut which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Plan of correction due Mar 26, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionBuilding & playground safety
Lead testing of drinking water §1597.16(a)(1)
Based on observation and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that the lead testing was not completed as required which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Apr 25, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionBuilding & playground safety
Buildings and grounds §101238(a)
Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that the children's restroom had dirty sinks, floors, and toilet bowls which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Mar 28, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionBuilding & playground safety
Buildings and grounds §101238(g)
Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that there were lower cabinets, one in the kitchen, and one in the toddler room, that contained cleaning solutions and disinfectants. There were no children present in the kitchen and toddler room at the time of observation, both cabinets had working latches, but neither was secured. This poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Mar 26, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionHealth & medication
Staff immunizations §1596.7995(a)(1)
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that staff (S1) did not have required immunizations on file, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Mar 28, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionTraining & qualifications
Staff health screening and personnel requirements §101216(g)(1)
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that S1 did not have required TB test on file, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Apr 25, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionTraining & qualifications
Staff health screening and personnel requirements §101216(g)(2)
Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that S1 and S2 did not have required health screening on file, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Apr 25, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionFood & feeding
Food service §101227(a)(18)
Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that the kitchen floors, counters, and appliances had food debris and were unclean, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Mar 28, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionBuilding & playground safety
Fixtures, furniture, equipment and supplies §101239(o)(1)
Based on observation, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that there were broken plastic sand toys in the wood chips area, and there were two bikes who had broken handle bars in disrepair, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Mar 28, 2025
Type BMar 25, 2025InspectionCaregiver conduct
Personal Rights
Based on observation and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that children were using unlicensed Room 101 instead of licensed Room 103 without prior notification/permission from Licensing, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Mar 28, 2025
Type ADec 18, 2023Complaint investigationTraining & qualifications
Teacher qualifications and duties §101216.1(2)(a)
Based on observation and record review that Licensee did not comply with regulation above as seven children were left alone in the care of staff 1 and staff 2 who are not qualified teachers which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to children in care.
Plan of correction due Dec 19, 2023

Complaint investigations

Not substantiatedFeb 20, 2024Complaint investigationreceived Dec 12, 2023
The state did not substantiate this complaint, so its allegations are not shown.
SubstantiatedDec 18, 2023Complaint investigationreceived Dec 12, 2023
Substantiated allegation:
Unqualified staff are providing care and supervision to children
1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.

About this center

Licensed capacity37 children
License typeChild care center (preschool)
License statusLicensed
Licensed sinceDec 29, 2022
LicenseeSolid Start Academy LLC
AdministratorAlexandra Ellam
Phone(619) 850-1568
State facility #376105109

Other licenses at this address

Common questions

Does Solid Start Academy take infants?

Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children. An infant center is licensed separately at the same address (listed below).

Has Solid Start Academy had any serious violations?

California issued 2 Type A citations since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Mar 25, 2025, for care and supervision. Each citation is listed in full above.

Have there been complaints about Solid Start Academy?

California investigated 2 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 1. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.

When was Solid Start Academy last inspected?

Mar 25, 2025. The state issued at least one citation during that visit.

How much does Solid Start Academy cost?

California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Solid Start Academy for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in San Diego County, which includes Santee, was $1,013 a month for preschoolers (about $1,280 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.

Who runs Solid Start Academy?

The licensee is Solid Start Academy LLC, and the administrator listed with the state is Alexandra Ellam.

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 376105109 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.