Upward Bound Pre-school
Upward Bound Pre-school is a licensed child care center in Santa Maria, CA, licensed for up to 60 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2000. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times. The state issued 2 citations, 1 of them Type A (the most serious). None came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #22 of 26 centers in Santa Maria and has more citations per inspection than 70% 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, the CCC has not tested its drinking water for lead contamination as of 1/4/2023 which poses/posed 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, Staff 1 does not have a criminal record clearance which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
About this center
Common questions
Does Upward Bound Pre-school take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Upward Bound Pre-school had any serious violations?
California issued 1 Type A citation since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Dec 1, 2021, for criminal record clearance. Each citation is listed in full above.
How does Upward Bound Pre-school compare with other daycares in Santa Maria?
It is tied for #22 of 26 centers in Santa Maria by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 70% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Upward Bound Pre-school last inspected?
May 14, 2025. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Upward Bound Pre-school cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Upward Bound Pre-school for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Santa Barbara County, which includes Santa Maria, was $1,099 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Upward Bound Pre-school?
The licensee is Lutheran Church Of Our Savior, and the administrator listed with the state is Hether Frias.
Licensed centers nearby
725 E. Foster Road, Santa Maria · 1.1 mi away · 49 spotsToo few inspections to compareCreative Beginnings II
240 Pinal Avenue, Santa Maria · 1.4 mi away · 48 spotsToo few inspections to compareOrcutt Union School District
255 Winter Road, Santa Maria · 2.2 mi away · 24 spotsNo citationsSanta Maria Valley YMCA
3400 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria · 2.8 mi away · 44 spotsMore citations than mostPacific Christian School
3435 Santa Maria Way, Santa Maria · ZIP 93455 away · 90 spotsAbout typicalChildren's Resource & Referral
2861 Airpark Drive, Santa Maria · 3.5 mi away · 30 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 426207603 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.