Palo Alto · Licensed center
Learning Center, the
- Medium play-based center, licensed for 40 children.
What these mean, and where they come from
Medium means the middle half of Bay Area’s 439 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 31 to 75 children. Small is 8 to 30; large is 76 to 312.
How they teach
Play-based and emergent curriculum
“Our program is child-centered and play-based in nature with the goal of fostering emotional, social, cognitive and physical growth.”In their words, July 2026.tlcpaloalto.org
“The emergent curriculum builds on children’s experiences, connects home life to school, and, we hope, gives children a sense of ownership and excitement about learning that begins a life-long love of learning.”In their words, July 2026.tlcpaloalto.org
One of 82 Bay Area providers that describe a play-based approach, out of 164 that describe any approach at all.
What it costs
Application fee $100.
Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, ratios and staff, sick and biting policies.
What the state has found
Routine visits: 3 of 5 cited something
Bay Area centers: the state cites something at about 1 in 4 routine visits.
From California CDSS Community Care Licensing’s published reports, last checked September 25, 2026.
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — California CDSS Community Care Licensing
- Last visit
- September 3, 2025
- On file
- 5 visits since April 2022 — 2 cited nothing · 1 complaint investigation
- Most serious
- No finding carrying a severity level in the last 24 months.
California CDSS publishes the full investigation narrative for a complaint, including its disposition, and classifies a citation Type A — an immediate risk to a child — or Type B.
Aug 2025 Complaint Unsubstantiated
Complaint · August 28, 2025
Unsubstantiated
ALLEGATION(S): One (1) Personal Right's allegation: Facility staff are not preventing physical altercation between day care children. INVESTIGATION FINDINGS: On 09/03/2025 at 9:30am, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Jialing “Julianne” Zhu conducted an UNANNOUNCED COMPLAINT SITE INSPECTION. LPA met with Director P.E. LPA advised director the nature of the inspection: a complaint regarding Children’s Personal Rights was filed against the facility. Present during the inspection were eight (8) fingerprint-cleared staff and 34 children (8 toddlers and 26 preschoolers). LPA made observations when children were playing in the outdoor areas and inside the classroom. LPA conducted interviews with the Director and staff. LPA also obtained and reviewed children’s files(s) and incident reports aka “ouch reports.” Although the allegation may have happened or is valid and based on LPA's observations and other evidence obtained during today's inspection, there is not a preponderance of evidence to prove the alleged violation did or did not occur, therefore the allegation is unsubstantiated. Report was reviewed, exit interview was conducted, and Appeal Rights were provided with Director P.E. A Notice of Site Visit was given and must remain posted for 30 days. Unsubstantiated Estimated Days of Completion:
Individual employees are shown by initials. The state’s report, linked above, names them in full.
Mar 2024 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · March 13, 2024
HSC 1596.8662(b)(1) · Type B
(1) On or before March 30, 2018, a person who, on January 1, 2018, is a licensed child day care provider, administrator, or employee of a licensed child day care facility shall complete the mandated reporter training provided pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a), and shall complete renewal mandated reporter training every two years following the date on which he or she completed the initial mandated reporter training. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on observation and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. LPA observed 5 staff member with a invaild mandated reporter certificate, director stated that she forgot about the mandated reporter training.
Mar 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · March 22, 2023
HSC 1596.8662(b)(1) · Type B
(1) On or before March 30, 2018, a person who, on January 1, 2018, is a licensed child day care provider, administrator, or employee of a licensed child day care facility shall complete the mandated reporter training provided pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a), and shall complete renewal mandated reporter training every two years following the date on which he or she completed the initial mandated reporter training. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. S1 Mandated reported traning expired on 3/7/23, Director stated that S1 forgort to renew mandated reporter
Oct 2022 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · October 7, 2022
CCR 101700.3(b)(1) · Type B
101700.3(b)(1) Lead Testing Written Directive- A result with values of 5.5 ppb or greater shall be deemed an Action Level Exceedance. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above, which is a potential health and safety risk to persons in care.
How the comparison is built
Routine visits: across Bay Area centers, the state cites something at about 1 in 4 routine visits (2,260 visits).
A day here
- Meals
- Healthy morning and afternoon snack plus a hot lunch (organic milk served with lunch/snacks; lunch includes a vegetable, fruit, protein, and complex carbohydrates) (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
- Hours
- 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, 5 days a week
- Schedule
- full-time, with 2, 3, or 5 day/week options (the brand’s policy for all its schools)
- Closed
- Closed for Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break (Dec 21–Jan 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Summer Break, and additional TLC Holidays
Details
- Website
- tlcpaloalto.org
- Address
- 459 Kingsley Ave
- License
- 430702587, active
- Ages they serve
- 18 months through entry into Kindergarten
- Established
- 1977
Do you run Learning Center, the? Shortlist has no ratios or policies for it, because the state does not publish that. Adding it is free and takes about ten minutes.
Add what is missingSources and dates
Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.
All checked July 2026.
How they teach
- Approach tlcpaloalto.org
How they teach
- Approach tlcpaloalto.org
What it costs
- Application fee tlcpaloalto.org
State record
Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.
A day here
- Meals tlcpaloalto.org
- Hours tlcpaloalto.org
- Schedule tlcpaloalto.org
- Closed img1.wsimg.com
Details
- Phone, Address, License ccld.dss.ca.gov
- Website tlcpaloalto.org
- Ages they serve tlcpaloalto.org
- Established tlcpaloalto.org