Charlotte · Licensed center
Kindercare Learning Center
At a glance
- Medium center, licensed for 129 children.
- Run by a for-profit business, which holds the license.
- KinderCare: public company; majority holder Partners Group (private equity).
Company news
KinderCare, the company that runs this center, reported in a federal filing that it permanently closed 49 of its early childhood centers in the six months ending July 4, 2026. It ran 1,567 of these centers at the end of that period. In the same filing, it reported closing 7 in the same six months of 2025.
The filing is about the company. It does not name which centers closed.
KinderCare’s quarterly report to the SEC, filed August 13, 2026. Shortlist last read it on November 8, 2026.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at 5 of its 6 licensing inspections since February 2024.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Jun 15, 20261 citation
Citation
“Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. Children were feed chicken nuggets, green beans, pears, milk and bread. The posted menus stated something different.”
Violation corrected during visit
Apr 15, 20263 citations
Citation
“Equipment and furnishings not meeting the requirements outlined in child care .0601(b) and (c) were not removed or made inaccessible. A shelf in space 4 had peeling plastic edges and several pieces was missing and the plywood is exposed.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 4/20/2026
Citation
“Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. There was a diaper cream that expired on 2-2025.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Emergency and identifying information, including the child's name, photograph, emergency contact information and/or a copy of the emergency medical care information form was not in the vehicle for each child being transported. Several children were missing photographs.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 4/20/2026
Apr 23, 20256 citations
Citation
“Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. One water cup in space three did not have the appropriate name or date.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Each child's bed, cot, or 2" mat was not individually assigned and identified. Cots were individually labeled with name or a number that corresponded to a sleep chart, however several children were given the incorrect cot.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Equipment and furnishings were not sturdy, stable and free of hazards. Two riding toys had plastic that was chipped with ragged edges.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Equipment and furnishings not meeting the requirements outlined in child care .0601(b) and (c) were not removed or made inaccessible. The playground had three broken trucks and several riding toys that were damaged. In Space three there were two toilets that were broken and one had a broken handle.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. Space one had clear tape over the outlet covers, Space three Air conditioner was not placed in the electrical outlet.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. There was cream that belonged to a child that withdrew from the facility, paperwork was also expired. This was in space one.”
Violation corrected during visit
Nov 13, 20244 citations
Citation
“All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean, free of visible fungal growth, and in good repair. space six, school-aged room chipping paint on the ceiling and several other places.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. Lights in several classrooms were in ill repair, some fixtures had tape holding them together.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/2/2024
Citation
“Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. there was an uncovered outlet in the three year old classroom.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“A violation was found for which there is no item number. Lights in one, three, four, five and six had broken lights, lights that did not work, lights did not work over the changing table, light coverings were broken and in ill repair, this is a violation of Sanitation rule: 15A NCAC 18A .2826 LIGHTING AND THERMAL ENVIRONMENT (a) In child care centers, all rooms and enclosed areas shall be lighted by natural or artificial light. Lighting shall be capable of illumination to at least 50 foot-candles at work surfaces. Lighting shall be capable of illumination to at least 10 foot-candles of light, at 30 inches above the floor, in all other areas, including storage rooms. Light fixtures in all areas shall be kept clean and in good repair. Shielded or shatterproof bulbs shall be used in food preparation, storage, and serving areas and in all rooms used by children. (b) All rooms used by children shall be heated, cooled, and ventilated to maintain an ambient temperature between 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Ventilation may be in the form of openable windows with screens or by means of mechanical ventilation to the outside of the building. Windows and window treatments shall be kept clean and in good repair. All ventilation equipment, including air supply diffusers, return grilles, and fans shall be kept clean and in good repair. (c) Nothing in the rules of this Section shall require that outdoor storage buildings be wired with electricity or provided with heating and air conditioning. violation of Rule .2826 of this Section related to lighting and thermal equipment being kept clean and in good repair and being maintained as required shall be assessed two demerits;”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/2/2024
Apr 24, 20244 citations
Citation
“Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. in the twos classroom there was an unlabeled sippy cup on the counter top.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Each child's bed, cot, or 2" mat was not individually assigned and identified. In the four year old class, children cots were not labeled with a name or number assigned to a particular child.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean, free of visible fungal growth, and in good repair. In the three year old classroom the molding around the door to go outside had peeling paint. The four year old classroom door moldings that were peeling, the Toddler classroom had several places on the wall with missing paint.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/2/2024
Citation
“Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. In the toddler classroom there were six expired diaper cream and forms of children who have withdrawn or moved to another classroom.”
Violation corrected during visit
- Feb 28, 2024Nothing cited
The state cited rules at 5 of this center's 6 inspections. Most Charlotte-area centers inspected 6 times had fewer: 75% of 79 had rules cited at 4 or fewer.
How all 79 Charlotte-area centers inspected 6 times compare
Of the 79 Charlotte-area centers the state inspected 6 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- None10%
- 1 of 65%
- 2 of 620%
- 3 of 619%
- 4 of 620%
- 5 of 615%This center
- All 610%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — North Carolina DCDEE
- Last visit
- June 15, 2026
- On file
- 6 visits since February 2024 — 1 cited nothing, 1 of those unannounced
- Fixed?
- All 18 record a correction, in the licensor’s own words.
- Most serious
- North Carolina DCDEE does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.
North Carolina DCDEE describes every citation in the licensor’s own words and records the correction in that same text — the only one of the six states that publishes whether a violation was fixed. It attaches no rule number and no report document.
Jun 2026 Unannounced visit 1 finding
Unannounced visit · June 15, 2026
Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. Children were feed chicken nuggets, green beans, pears, milk and bread. The posted menus stated something different.
Violation corrected during visit
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 6055162 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Apr 2026 Unannounced visit 3 findings
Unannounced visit · April 15, 2026
Equipment and furnishings not meeting the requirements outlined in child care .0601(b) and (c) were not removed or made inaccessible. A shelf in space 4 had peeling plastic edges and several pieces was missing and the plywood is exposed.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 4/20/2026
Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. There was a diaper cream that expired on 2-2025.
Violation corrected during visit
Emergency and identifying information, including the child's name, photograph, emergency contact information and/or a copy of the emergency medical care information form was not in the vehicle for each child being transported. Several children were missing photographs.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 4/20/2026
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 6055162 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Apr 2025 Unannounced visit 6 findings
Unannounced visit · April 23, 2025
Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. One water cup in space three did not have the appropriate name or date.
Violation corrected during visit
Each child's bed, cot, or 2" mat was not individually assigned and identified. Cots were individually labeled with name or a number that corresponded to a sleep chart, however several children were given the incorrect cot.
Violation corrected during visit
Equipment and furnishings were not sturdy, stable and free of hazards. Two riding toys had plastic that was chipped with ragged edges.
Violation corrected during visit
Equipment and furnishings not meeting the requirements outlined in child care .0601(b) and (c) were not removed or made inaccessible. The playground had three broken trucks and several riding toys that were damaged. In Space three there were two toilets that were broken and one had a broken handle.
Violation corrected during visit
Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. Space one had clear tape over the outlet covers, Space three Air conditioner was not placed in the electrical outlet.
Violation corrected during visit
Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. There was cream that belonged to a child that withdrew from the facility, paperwork was also expired. This was in space one.
Violation corrected during visit
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 6055162 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Nov 2024 Unannounced visit 4 findings
Unannounced visit · November 13, 2024
All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean, free of visible fungal growth, and in good repair. space six, school-aged room chipping paint on the ceiling and several other places.
Violation corrected during visit
A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. Lights in several classrooms were in ill repair, some fixtures had tape holding them together.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/2/2024
Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. there was an uncovered outlet in the three year old classroom.
Violation corrected during visit
A violation was found for which there is no item number. Lights in one, three, four, five and six had broken lights, lights that did not work, lights did not work over the changing table, light coverings were broken and in ill repair, this is a violation of Sanitation rule: 15A NCAC 18A .2826 LIGHTING AND THERMAL ENVIRONMENT (a) In child care centers, all rooms and enclosed areas shall be lighted by natural or artificial light. Lighting shall be capable of illumination to at least 50 foot-candles at work surfaces. Lighting shall be capable of illumination to at least 10 foot-candles of light, at 30 inches above the floor, in all other areas, including storage rooms. Light fixtures in all areas shall be kept clean and in good repair. Shielded or shatterproof bulbs shall be used in food preparation, storage, and serving areas and in all rooms used by children. (b) All rooms used by children shall be heated, cooled, and ventilated to maintain an ambient temperature between 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Ventilation may be in the form of openable windows with screens or by means of mechanical ventilation to the outside of the building. Windows and window treatments shall be kept clean and in good repair. All ventilation equipment, including air supply diffusers, return grilles, and fans shall be kept clean and in good repair. (c) Nothing in the rules of this Section shall require that outdoor storage buildings be wired with electricity or provided with heating and air conditioning. violation of Rule .2826 of this Section related to lighting and thermal equipment being kept clean and in good repair and being maintained as required shall be assessed two demerits;
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/2/2024
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 6055162 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Apr 2024 Unannounced visit 4 findings
Unannounced visit · April 24, 2024
Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. in the twos classroom there was an unlabeled sippy cup on the counter top.
Violation corrected during visit
Each child's bed, cot, or 2" mat was not individually assigned and identified. In the four year old class, children cots were not labeled with a name or number assigned to a particular child.
Violation corrected during visit
All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean, free of visible fungal growth, and in good repair. In the three year old classroom the molding around the door to go outside had peeling paint. The four year old classroom door moldings that were peeling, the Toddler classroom had several places on the wall with missing paint.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/2/2024
Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. In the toddler classroom there were six expired diaper cream and forms of children who have withdrawn or moved to another classroom.
Violation corrected during visit
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 6055162 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Shortlist replaces people’s names in the state’s text with initials. This is done by rule, not by hand, so it can miss a name or shorten a word that isn’t one. The state’s report, linked on each row, has the original.
Details
- Phone
- (704) 535-1915
- Address
- 6603 Idlewild Road, Charlotte, 28212
- License
- 6055162
- Quality program
- Five Star License
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.
Sources 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.
State record
From North Carolina DCDEE’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.
Details
- Phone, Address, License, Quality program — Checked July 2026 ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. To check it, open ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch, enter licence 6055162 under License Number, and open the result.
- Website, Who runs it — Checked October 2026 kindercare.com
- Who runs it — Checked October 2026 ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. To check it, open ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch, enter licence 6055162 under License Number, open the result and expand Owner Information: the licensee is listed as Primary Owner.
- Who runs it — Checked October 2026 sec.gov/…/klc-20260704.htm
From KinderCare's quarterly report to the SEC, filed August 13, 2026. sec.gov
Medium means the middle half of Charlotte-area’s 605 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 51 to 162 children. Small is 11 to 50; large is 163 to 528.