Licensed center

Ages in Stages Childcare - Des Moines

A play-based center, licensed for 81 children. No complaint investigation has found a violation here, true of 150 of 203 similar-size Seattle-area centers.

How they teach

Play-based

“From infancy to pre-K, our play-based programs foster a love of learning and prepare your child for school success.”In their words. agesinstageschildcare.com, September 2026

One of 101 Seattle-area providers that describe a play-based approach, out of 256 that describe any approach at all.

Who cares for your child

Not published

What it costs

Not published

Shortlist can ask Ages in Stages Childcare - Des Moines for what it has not published: who is with the children and for how long, what it costs, a typical day and sick and biting policies. The answer will go on this page.

What the state has found

No complaint investigation has found a violation since February 2023

150: none52: one to four1: five or more

The 203 Seattle-area centers licensed for 71 to 114 children, the size band this one falls in, as of September 26, 2026.

Larger centers have more complaint investigations, so Ages in Stages Childcare - Des Moines (81 children) is compared with centers its size.

Routine visits: 3 of 3 cited something

Across Seattle-area centers, the state cites something at about 2 in 3 routine visits (1,966 visits). Three visits are too few to read as a pattern.

From Washington DCYF’s published reports, last checked September 26, 2026.

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Washington DCYF

Last visit
September 24, 2025
On file
3 visits since March 2024 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
Washington DCYF does not publish whether a finding was corrected.
Most serious
Serious — Multiple oranges were placed next to cleaning items in the toddler classroom at the time of inspection (The violation was corrected on site). · September 24, 2025

Washington DCYF publishes the licensor’s own observation and a risk level for every citation it issues at a licensing visit, with the inspection report attached as a PDF.

Sep 2025 Licensing visit 3 findings

Licensing visit · September 24, 2025

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(2)(c) · Short Term

Charging cords were observed inside two classrooms that were accessible to children at the time of inspection (The violation was corrected on site).

Storage of hazardous and maintenance supplies

WAC 110-300-0260(1)(b) · Serious

Multiple oranges were placed next to cleaning items in the toddler classroom at the time of inspection (The violation was corrected on site).

Supervising children

WAC 110-300-0345(5)(b) · Short Term

Alarming devices in multiple classrooms were observed to be missing/off at the time of inspection.

Report (PDF)

Feb 2025 Licensing visit 3 findings

Licensing visit · February 12, 2025

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious

MERIT reflected that three staff members' food worker card was expired at the time of inspection. MERIT reflected that three staff memebers' safe sleep training was expired at the time of inspection.

Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space

WAC 110-300-0146(4) · Serious

A trampoline was observed in the Gubbie's playground at the time of inspection.

Medication

WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i) · Serious

Child LB's (Sweet peas room) medication was not accompanied with a medication authorization form that has the medical need and the possible side effects of medication at the time of inspection.

Report (PDF)

Mar 2024 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · March 18, 2024

Emergency preparation and exiting

WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c) · Serious

Emergency exit pathway is blocked by stacked chairs and one table in the 2.5 age classroom. Children and staff will need to be able to safely wall in this patheway in case of emergency

Report (PDF)

A day here

Hours
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, 5 days a week

Details

Website
agesinstageschildcare.com
Address
22038 9th Ave S
License
PL-20541, active
Quality program
Early Achievers Level 3
Ages
4 weeks to 5 years
Established
2005

Do you run Ages in Stages Childcare - Des Moines? Shortlist has no tuition, ratios or policies for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.

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.

All checked September 2026.

How they teach

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

Details