University Heights Children's Center · 2066 Avy Avenue, Menlo Park
University Heights Children's Center is a licensed child care center in Menlo Park, CA, licensed for up to 31 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 1989. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times. The state issued 2 citations, both of them Type A (the most serious). All 2 came in the last 12 months, including 2 Type A. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #20 of 27 centers in Menlo Park and has more citations per inspection than 72% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on observation and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as the facility exceeded the facility capacity of 31 preschool children by having 33 preschool children present, which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
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About this center
Common questions
Does University Heights Children's Center take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has University Heights Children's Center had any serious violations?
California issued 2 Type A citations since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Nov 19, 2025, for capacity limits. Each citation is listed in full above.
How does University Heights Children's Center compare with other daycares in Menlo Park?
It is tied for #20 of 27 centers in Menlo Park by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 72% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was University Heights Children's Center last inspected?
Oct 10, 2025. The state issued at least one citation during that visit.
How much does University Heights Children's Center cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask University Heights Children's Center for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in San Mateo County, which includes Menlo Park, was $1,619 a month for preschoolers (about $2,040 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs University Heights Children's Center?
The licensee is Shirley Saada Gaston, and the administrator listed with the state is Shirley Gaston.
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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 410517432 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.