Hope's Little Preschool
1802 FM 314, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 · Van Zandt County
Program
- Type
- Licensed center
- Licensed capacity
- 70
- Ages
- Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School
- Hours
- 06:00 AM-06:00 PM
- Director / administrator
- Esperanza Lemus
- Phone
- (903) 963-5604
- Regulated since
- Sep 30, 2013
- HHSC IDs
- Operation 1111571 · number 1515023
- Official record
- HHSC Child Care Search
Violations by category
Year by year
| Year | Violations | Serious | Main categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | Supervision & ratios (1), Staff background & training (1) |
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | Illness & medication (2), Safety & premises (3), Other (1) |
| 2021 | 8 | 2 | Supervision & ratios (3), Safety & premises (2), Staff background & training (2), Records & paperwork (1) |
Inspections, investigations & assessments
-
Apr 30, 2026 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Jun 12, 2025 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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May 23, 2025 Inspection · Deficiencies cited
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Staff background & training Serious
The operation allowed a person to be present at the operation giving direct care to children before receiving notice from CBCU regarding the person's eligibility.
HHSC 745.641 — AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operation
HHSC risk weight: High. Corrected 2025-05-25. Correction verified 2025-05-27.
-
Staff background & training Serious
-
May 15, 2025 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
-
May 13, 2025 Report · Deficiencies cited (self-report)
-
Supervision & ratios Serious
This standard was evaluated as part of the investigation and found to be deficient. Operation staff heard a caregiver yelling at an infant on the playground.
HHSC 746.2805(5) — Prohibited Punishments - Humiliating, Rejecting, Yelling
HHSC risk weight: High. Corrected 2025-05-28. Correction verified 2025-06-12.
-
Supervision & ratios Serious
-
Jun 27, 2024 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Aug 22, 2023 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Dec 22, 2022 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Dec 16, 2022 Inspection · Deficiencies cited
-
Safety & premises Serious
At the investigation inspection, a 5 week old infant had a sleep sack in the crib covering the legs and was being used as a blanket. The caregiver removed the sleep sack from the crib at the inspection.
HHSC 746.2415(b) — AP Cribs - Only Snug Fitting Sheet and Crib Mattress Cover Allowed if Infant Younger than 12 Months of Age
HHSC risk weight: High. Corrected 2022-12-16. Correction verified 2022-12-22.
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Safety & premises Serious
-
Dec 13, 2022 Report · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Nov 29, 2022 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Nov 2, 2022 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Oct 30, 2022 Report · Deficiencies cited
-
Other
This standard was evaluated as part of an investigation and found to be deficient. It was determined the children are given screen time in the morning and afternoon that exceeds the 1-hour time limit per day allowed.
HHSC 746.2207(c)(3) — Screen Time Activities - Not Exceed One Hour Daily
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2022-11-17. Correction verified 2022-11-29.
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Other
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Oct 4, 2022 Inspection · No deficiencies cited
No violations cited on this visit.
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Sep 19, 2022 Inspection · Deficiencies cited
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Illness & medication Serious
The operation did not self report to Child Care Regulation when two staff tested positive for Covid in July of 2022.
HHSC 746.305(a)(4) — Report Outbreak of Communicable Illness
HHSC risk weight: Medium High. Corrected 2022-09-19. Correction verified 2022-09-27.
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Safety & premises Serious
At the inspection, the infant playground is needing to be mowed. The grass is growing above the edges of the play equipment.
HHSC 746.3407 — Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment
HHSC risk weight: Medium High. Corrected 2022-10-03. Correction verified 2022-10-04.
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Safety & premises
At the inspection, the emergency practice form was reviewed to not have been updated since March 30, 2022.
HHSC 746.5205(4) — Documentation of Drills
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2022-10-03. Correction verified 2022-09-27.
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Illness & medication
1 out 5 children's records reviewed did not have an immunization record included in the child's file.
HHSC 746.603(a)(4) — Children's Records - Immunizations
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2022-10-03. Correction verified 2022-09-27.
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Illness & medication Serious
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Nov 12, 2021 Inspection · Deficiencies cited
-
Staff background & training
3 out of 3 employee training records were not available at the time of the inspection. The director and two staff training records were not available for review.
HHSC 746.901(5) — Required Personnel Records- Training Hours
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2021-11-24. Correction verified 2021-11-30.
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Staff background & training
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Nov 3, 2021 Inspection · Deficiencies cited
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Supervision & ratios Serious
At the inspection, 19 school age children were placed in the Pre-k building with the Pre-K class when they arrived from public school and placed the building out of capacity by 5 children.
HHSC 746.201(11) — AP Ensure total number of children both at & away from center within capacity
HHSC risk weight: High. Corrected 2021-11-03. Correction verified 2021-11-12.
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Supervision & ratios
The screen time used by the operation today was 1 hour and 40 minutes combining the AM and the PM times together.
HHSC 746.2207(c)(3) — Screen Time Activities - Not Exceed One Hour Daily
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2021-11-03. Correction verified 2021-11-12.
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Safety & premises
At the inspection, two teeter totters were positioned 3-4 feet from the tether ball pole.
HHSC 746.4803 — Measurement of Use Zone for Stationary Equipment
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2021-11-24. Correction verified 2021-11-12.
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Safety & premises Serious
At the inspection, the blue surface material was showing at the slide exits and the loose-fill did not measure 6 inches.
HHSC 746.4907(a)(1) — Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Six Inches if Equipment 5 Ft or Less
HHSC risk weight: Medium High. Corrected 2021-12-08. Correction verified 2021-11-12.
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Supervision & ratios
At the inspection, the operational policy did not include the information regarding indoor/outdoor physical activity.
HHSC 746.501(a)(18) — Written Operational Policies - Promotion of Physical Activity
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2021-11-24. Correction verified 2021-11-12.
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Records & paperwork
3 out of 3 personnel records reviewed did not have a notarized employment affidavit.
HHSC 746.901(4) — Required Personnel Records - Required Affidavit
HHSC risk weight: Medium Low. Corrected 2021-11-24. Correction verified 2021-11-12.
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Staff background & training
3 out of 3 employee training records were not available at the time of the inspection. The director and two staff training records were not available for review.
HHSC 746.901(5) — Required Personnel Records- Training Hours
HHSC risk weight: Medium. Corrected 2021-11-24. Correction verified 2021-11-12.
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Supervision & ratios Serious
Get the full file
HHSC publishes inspections, investigations and assessments from October 2017 onward, with each cited deficiency and its risk weight. Investigation narratives, complaint files and older history require a public information request. The Texas Public Information Act (Texas Government Code Chapter 552) gives anyone the right to ask. You don't have to say why.
Email the request Printable letter (fax or mail)
- Send to
- HHSC Open Records Coordinator, MC-1070 · OpenRecordsRequest@hhs.texas.gov · fax 512-424-6586 · 4601 W. Guadalupe Street, Austin, Texas 78751-3146 · agency instructions
Show the letter text
If something is happening now, report a concern to HHSC Child Care Regulation. For suspected abuse, contact your county child protective services or law enforcement.
Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission, via Child Care Regulation datasets on data.texas.gov. Last read Oct 1, 2026. Violation text is HHSC's own wording. The categories are ours, added to help you scan. About this data.