Daycare Record Child care inspection records

Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten

113 Byron Ave, Altoona, PA 16602 · Blair County
Keystone STAR 1

Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten is a certified child care center in Altoona, PA, with capacity for 77 children. It holds a Keystone STAR 1 rating. Since August 2021, Pennsylvania certification staff have inspected it 5 times. The state cited 14 violations, none of them core-safety. None of them came in the last 12 months. Measured by topic-weighted citations per inspection, it is #13 of 22 centers in Altoona and has fewer citations per inspection than 70% of Pennsylvania certified centers.

Inspection record

Fewer citations than 70% of 4,789 Pennsylvania certified centers, per inspection, weighted by topic. About typical
#13 of 22 centers in Altoona
0 Core-safety citations
14 Other citations
5 Inspections
0 Complaint investigations that found violations
14 citations from 5 state visits since Aug 16, 2021 · none in the last 12 months · last inspected Oct 9, 2025

Every state visit

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 INSPECTIONS (top) · REPORTS & INVESTIGATIONS (bottom) Oct 9, 2025 · Inspection · citation found May 30, 2025 · Inspection · no citation Oct 25, 2024 · Inspection · citation found Jan 30, 2024 · Inspection · no citation Jan 29, 2024 · Inspection · no citation
Violation found No violation Top row: inspections · bottom row: complaint investigations, self-reported incidents and other visits

What inspectors cited most

Building & playground safety 5
Records & paperwork 5
Health & medication 2
Emergency preparedness 1
Transportation 1

Citations, newest first

Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Building & playground safety
Inaccessible to children 55 Pa. Code §3270.75(b)
The facility was observed to have a "GO BAG" which contained a first-aid kit that was accessible to children.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “"Go Bag" was hung out of student reach on a hook on the back of the door.”
Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Building & playground safety
Clean, good repair, proper size 55 Pa. Code §3270.104(a)
The facility's Pre-school room was observed to have a round wooden table with legs that are loose and unsteady.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “The screws on the legs of the wooden table in the dramatic play area were tightened.”
Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Building & playground safety
Director or designated staff person ensure compliance 55 Pa. Code §3270.95(b)
The facility was observed to have a written record of manually testing all fire detection devices or systems. All dates written in the log indicate testing occurred at least once every thirty days except for the test on 02/24/2025, The log indicates that the test conducted on 02/24/2025 occurred 53 days after the previous test which the log shows occurred on 01/02/2025.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “We tested all fire detection devices once every thirty days, after that date.”
Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Records & paperwork
Posted in group space 55 Pa. Code §3270.111(b)
The facility's Pre-K a room was observed to lack the written plan of daily activities posted in the group space.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “The written plan of daily activities was posted in the classroom.”
Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Records & paperwork
Arrival/departure times 55 Pa. Code §3270.123(a)(4)
The files for children #1 and #2 were observed to contain agreement forms that lacked to specify the children's arrival and departure times
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “The children's arrival and departure times were added to the agreement form.”
Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Records & paperwork
Designated release persons 55 Pa. Code §3270.123(a)(5)
The files for children #1 and #2 were observed to contain agreement that did not specify the persons designated by a parent to whom the child may be released.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “The parent filled out who the child may be released to on the agreement form.”
Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Records & paperwork
Parent home/work address, phone 55 Pa. Code §3270.124(b)(3)
The file for child #1 was observed to contain an emergency contact form that lacked the enrolling parents work addresses and telephone numbers.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “Parents filled out the work addresses and telephone numbers on the emergency contact form.”
Citation Oct 9, 2025 Inspection Records & paperwork
Information re: special needs 55 Pa. Code §3270.124(b)(5)
The file for child #2 was observed to contain an emergency contact form that lacked to include information on the child's special needs, as specified by the child's parent, physician, physician's assistant or CRNP,
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Nov 26, 2025): “The child did not have any special needs, so the parent filled in N/A to indicate that.”
Citation Oct 25, 2024 Inspection Emergency preparedness
Letter to parents 55 Pa. Code §3270.27(e)
The facility was observed to lack evidence the facility was providing a letter to the parent of each enrolled child explaining the facility's emergency procedures, including accommodations for infants, toddlers, children with disabilities and children with chronic medical conditions.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Feb 7, 2025): “The letter was rewritten to include accommodations for all children in our plan of action in the event of an emergency.”
Citation Oct 25, 2024 Inspection Building & playground safety
Contaminated trash in closed plastic-lined receptacle 55 Pa. Code §3270.67(d)
The facility was observed to have trash cans in the K-5, Pre-K and Pre-school rooms that were not closed (lidded), plastic-lined receptacles.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Jan 29, 2025): “We replaced all trash cans in 5K/K, PS, and PK rooms with lidded trash cans that require no touching with hands. They all have a footstep to open the lids.”
Citation Oct 25, 2024 Inspection Building & playground safety
Outdoor equip.- protective surfacing 55 Pa. Code §3270.102(c)
The facility was observed to have embedded outdoor equipment in their K-5 playground that was on a bedding of less than 9" of wooden much. The wooden privacy fence that surrounds this outdoor play area was observed to have rusty staples within the reach of children.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Jan 29, 2025): “We dug out and put new wooden mulch down under and around the swings and slide on October 29, 2024. We also, removed the rusty staples at the children's level. Lesa Dively, our inspector, came back on November 11, 2024, and approved of the correction.”
Citation Oct 25, 2024 Inspection Health & medication
Written consent 55 Pa. Code §3270.133(6)
The facility was observed to have a medication log for child #1 and #2 that lacked complete parental written consent for administration of medication. This was evidenced by the forms for child #1 and #2 lacking information on the times the medication should be administered. The form for child #2 lacked the dosage amount to be administered.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Feb 7, 2025): “The medication logs for child #1 and child #2 have both been updated by the parent to include the times that medication should be administered. Also, Child #2 indicated the dosage amount.”
Citation Oct 25, 2024 Inspection Health & medication
Special notes 55 Pa. Code §3270.133(7)(viii)
The facility was observed to have a medication log for child #1, in the K-5 room that lacked special notes, if any related to problems of administration.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Feb 7, 2025): “We had the parent of child #1 fill out that there are no special notes that related to administrating the medication.”
Citation Oct 25, 2024 Inspection Transportation
Pick-up and drop-off points 55 Pa. Code §3270.171(a)
The facility lacked documentation the facility had notified local traffic safety authorities annually in writing of the location of the facility and the program's use of pedestrian and vehicular routes around the child care facility.
Center’s plan of correction (implemented, Feb 7, 2025): “We have written a letter to the Altoona Police Department letting them know that we are located at 113 Byron Avenue Altoona and provided the program's use of pedestrian and vehicular routes around the child care facility.”

“Core safety” marks citations about supervision and staff ratios, discipline and caregiver conduct, background checks, child protection and safe sleep, the topics our score weights most. Pennsylvania’s records don’t grade violations by severity. “Follow-up” marks a violation re-cited at a follow-up visit, counted once. How scores work.

About this center

Capacity 77 children
Certificate status Regular (COMPASS: awaiting renewal)
Certificate valid through Jan 29, 2027
Keystone STARS STAR 1
since Feb 20, 2024 · what STARS means
Operator Harbor House Preschool And Kindergarten LLC
Phone —
State certificate # CER-00248193
Parent reviews Google Maps reviews
Not checked by Daycare Record

Common questions

Has Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten had any serious violations?

No citations on supervision, staff ratios, discipline, background checks, child protection or safe sleep since 2021. It has 14 other citations, listed above.

Have there been complaints about Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten?

Pennsylvania lists no complaint investigation that found a violation at Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten since 2021. Its search shows these “verified complaints” but not what a complaint alleged, or whether every violation relates to it.

What is Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten’s Keystone STARS rating?

STAR 1, effective Feb 20, 2024. Keystone STARS is Pennsylvania’s quality rating program for child care, from STAR 1 to STAR 4. It measures program quality, not inspection results, so read both.

How does Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten compare with other daycares in Altoona?

It is #13 of 22 centers in Altoona by topic-weighted citations per inspection, and has fewer citations per inspection than 70% of Pennsylvania certified centers with enough inspection history to compare.

When was Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten last inspected?

Oct 9, 2025 (renewal). The state cited at least one violation during that visit.

Who runs Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten?

The legal entity on its Pennsylvania certificate is Harbor House Preschool And Kindergarten LLC.

Certified centers nearby

Citations are quoted from Pennsylvania Department of Human Services inspection records (Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services), including each finding and the center’s plan of correction. Rule numbers refer mostly to 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3270, the rules for child care centers; a few cite Chapter 20, which covers every certified facility. Pennsylvania’s records don’t grade violations by severity; the “core safety” label and the score are Daycare Record’s.

To check the state’s own record, search the center’s name on COMPASS Child Care Provider Search and open its inspection history. Data refreshed Oct 16, 2026.

Comparing centers? See how to choose a daycare: 30 questions to ask and a printable checklist.

Concerned about this center? See how to report a daycare: which state line to call, what to write down and what happens next.