The Learning Experience

Center · Charlotte · 3937 West Arrowood Road

What kind of place is this?

Size 190 children licensed Larger than the middle half of Charlotte centers, where the middle half licenses 50–162. Measured across 598 Charlotte centers, 2026-08-17.
Approach developmental, play-based

In the program’s own words

“L.E.A.P.® stands for Learning Experience Academic Program. It is the proprietary curriculum developed by The Learning Experience and used in every center, for children from 6 weeks to 6 years old.” thelearningexperience.com, July 2026
“Encouraging independence and social skills through play-based learning and exploration.” thelearningexperience.com, July 2026

Who runs it

Ownership For-profit North Carolina DCDEE names a limited company as the licensee, and it is not in the IRS register of tax-exempt organisations. ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov
Chain The Learning Experience
Owner Harvest Partners — as of 2025, may have changed since Majority acquired by private-equity firm Harvest Partners in 2025 (from Golden Gate Capital; founder Weissman family and Golden Gate retain stakes). prnewswire.com

The Learning Experience runs 9 licensed locations in Charlotte.

How this compares

North Carolina DCDEE cited something at 19 of the 35 visits below. Across Charlotte centers it cites something at about 57% of visits. Each state decides what gets written up, so this compares Charlotte with Charlotte and never with another state.

Who will be with our child?

Will it fit our family?

Ages served 6 weeks to 6 years
Hours 6:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Days / week 5
Holiday closures Closed for Labor Day, a Professional Development Day (Oct 12), Thanksgiving Day, the Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day
Accepts subsidy Yes

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Three Star License
License status Active

State record — North Carolina DCDEE

Last visit
August 24, 2026
On file
35 visits since August 2023 — 16 cited nothing, 15 of those unannounced
Fixed?
46 of 48 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.

Aug 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jul 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jun 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jun 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jun 2026 Unannounced visit 1 finding

Unannounced visit · June 9, 2026

A child was yelled at, shamed, humiliated, frightened, threatened or bullied. A child was yelled at, shamed, humiliated, frightened, threatened or bullied. It was reported that a staff member tells children that "they are being a brat", or that "they just want attention". Also during today's visit, I observed a staff member telling children while pointing at them "stop spitting, we do not spit, what did I just say, do you want to sit out".

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/22/2026

DCDEE facility lookup

Jun 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Apr 2026 Unannounced visit 3 findings

Unannounced visit · April 22, 2026

Children were not adequately supervised at all times. Staff failed to supervise two three year old children who were able to exit the fenced in playground and walk off property, around a public shopping area for at least 15 minutes before staff found them.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 4/28/2026

A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. Staff failed to ensure the perimeter gate was locked. Two three-year-old children exited the playground and wandered through the corporate center, looking into the windows of area businesses, and walking/running through the parking areas and/or on the side of the street which placed the children at serious risk of harm.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 4/28/2026

There was a substantiation of child maltreatment. Pursuant to its investigation, the Division has confirmed sufficient information to determine child maltreatment.

Violation pending provider response

DCDEE facility lookup

Apr 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Mar 2026 Announced visit nothing cited
Feb 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jan 2026 Unannounced visit 2 findings

Unannounced visit · January 28, 2026

Incident reports were not completed each time a child was injured, it did not include all the information required in rule, it was not signed by the parent and/or it was not maintained in the child's file. An incident report was not completed at the time when a child was injured and received first aid at the facility.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/2/2026

A child care operator did not notify the Division of any new child care providers, as defined in G.S. 110-90.2(a)(2), who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. A childcare operator that was hired was not added to the facility's roster in the ABCMS within five business days.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/2/2026

DCDEE facility lookup

Jan 2026 Unannounced visit 2 findings

Unannounced visit · January 22, 2026

There were no clean clothes available for the children to wear when children's clothes became wet or soiled. Clean clothes were not available for one (1) child whose clothes became wet.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/2/2026

Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. A three (3) year old child was taken outside on 1/8/26 in a t-shirt, underwear, and a jacket.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/2/2026

DCDEE facility lookup

Jan 2026 Unannounced visit 4 findings

Unannounced visit · January 6, 2026

Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. Vaseline was observed on a counter in space ten (10).

Violation corrected during visit

New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. One (1) staff's orientation was documented.

Violation corrected during visit

Each employee's personnel file did not contain an annual staff evaluation and a staff development plan. One (1) employee's personnel file did not contain an annual staff evaluation.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/9/2025

All administrators and staff did not complete a professional development plan within one year of employment, that included all the required information. One (1) staff member did not complete a professional development plan within one year of employment

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/9/2025

DCDEE facility lookup

Dec 2025 Unannounced visit 2 findings

Unannounced visit · December 15, 2025

A child was handled in a rough way, including shaking, pushing, shoving, pinching, slapping, biting, kicking, or spanking. On December 5, 2025, a staff member had inappropriate interactions and handled a five-year-old child in a rough manner, which resulted in red marks on the child’s shoulder and collarbone area. In addition, the same staff member had inappropriate interactions and handled a four-year-old child roughly, which resulted in fingernail marks on the child’s arm.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/22/2025

There was a substantiation of child maltreatment. Pursuant to its investigation, the Division has confirmed sufficient information to determine child maltreatment.

Violation pending provider response

DCDEE facility lookup

Nov 2025 Unannounced visit 4 findings

Unannounced visit · November 19, 2025

All corrosive agents, pesticides, bleaches, detergents, cleansers, polishes, any product which is under pressure in an aerosol dispenser, and any substance which may be hazardous to a child if ingested, inhaled, or handled were not stored in a locked room or cabinet. Liquid white out was observed on a shelf, not stored in a locked cabinet in space seven (7).

Violation corrected during visit

Center staff did not comply with the safe sleep policy. Staff did not mark (B) for back to sleep as the initial sleep position when laying sleeping infants down.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/26/2025

Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. Documentation of visually checking sleeping infants was not available for the weeks of November 1st-7th in space two (2) for most children .

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/26/2025

New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. One (1) new staff member's orientation was not documented.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/26/2025

DCDEE facility lookup

Oct 2025 Unannounced visit 1 finding

Unannounced visit · October 15, 2025

An individual written feeding plan was not provided by child's parent or health care provider or was not followed and posted. (omit posting for centers located in a residence)An individual written feeding plan was not was not followed for one (1) enrolled child.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/23/2025

DCDEE facility lookup

Jul 2025 Unannounced visit 4 findings

Unannounced visit · July 29, 2025

A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. A current activity plan was not posted for group twelve (12) for reference.

Violation corrected during visit

When children 3 years and older were in care, screen time was not used to stimulate a developmental domain; was not limited to 30 minutes a day and no more than a total of two and a half hours per week, per child; and/or was not documented on a cumulative log or the activity plan that is available for review. When screen time was offered in space ten (10), it was not documented on the activity plan available for review.

Violation corrected during visit

Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu for today did not reflect the current change.

Violation corrected during visit

Each staff member did not have the required medical report, proof of tuberculosis test or screening and/or completed health questionnaire in a medical file, maintained separately from the staff member's individual personnel file. One (1) medical file was not maintained separately from the staff member's individual personnel file.

Violation corrected during visit

DCDEE facility lookup

Jan 2025 Unannounced visit 1 finding

Unannounced visit · January 28, 2025

Staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience. One (1) staff member required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/6/2025

DCDEE facility lookup

Aug 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Aug 2024 Unannounced visit 4 findings

Unannounced visit · August 6, 2024

Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on a sleeping infant for an hour during today's visit.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 8/16/2024

All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the file of one (1) staff.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 8/16/2024

All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Verification of One (1) staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 8/16/2024

Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. An EPR drill was practiced in January 2024 and then again in May 2024, not every three (3) months as required.

Violation corrected during visit

DCDEE facility lookup

Jul 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
May 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
May 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Mar 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Mar 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited

Showing 25 of 35 records. The rest are in the state record linked above.

Before you tour

The Learning Experience hasn’t published

Cost, sick and biting policies.

Ask which of these findings were serious.North Carolina DCDEE records the correction in its own words, but never says how serious it was.

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.

What kind of place is this

Not yet reported: established.

Who runs it

Who will be with our child

Not yet reported: children per teacher.

Will it fit our family

Not yet reported: schedule.

Licensing and contact

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

Do you run The Learning Experience? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.