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Mercer Island · Licensed center

Creative Learning Center Montessori

clcmontessori.com

At a glance

  • Medium Montessori center, licensed for 48 children.

What to know

License: 2 years 6 months to 7 years (state).

The license is the range the state allows. It does not say which ages have openings.

What the state has found

The state cited rules at all 3 of its licensing inspections since January 2024. It lists no valid complaint about this center.

See each inspection

Licensing inspections

  • Sep 26, 20252 citations
    • Training requirementsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
      • “During the visit, it was observed that several staff members had expired food handler permits.”

        WAC 110-300-0106(12)

    • Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning spaceSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
      • “On the playground, two slides were placed directly on the ground without maintaining the required six-foot fall zone. One slide was placed on a turf grass surface, which does not provide adequate impact-absorbing material.”

        WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b)

  • Jul 12, 20242 citations
    • Food allergies and special dietary needsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
      • “The individual care plan stored with the prescription medication was observed to be unsigned by the healthcare provider.”

        WAC 110-300-0186(1)

    • Training requirementsShort Term. Fix within 10 business days. Rechecked within 15.
      • “One teacher did not complete the Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) class, and another teacher did not complete the Child Care Basics class, both of which are required within the first three months of employment.”

        WAC 110-300-0106(3)

  • Jan 11, 20243 citations
    • Food allergies and special dietary needsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
      • “Child C. does not have individual care plan for dairy allergy. Child SL allergic to tomato- no individula care plan. Child O. allergic to fish- no individula care plan. Child EY has Benadryl and Ep-pen for nut allergy. Individula care plan is missing information about symptoms, substitute foods, names of medications and how to administer medications. The plan is not signed by a medical provider. Parents have not trained staff on medication administration.”

        WAC 110-300-0186(1), WAC 110-300-0186(2)

    • Safety requirementsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
      • “Window blinds were loose, not attached to safety hooks on the wall. Plastic bags accessible under the sink in classroom 2.”

        WAC 110-300-0165(2)(b), WAC 110-300-0165(2)(d)

    • Training requirementsShort Term. Fix within 10 business days. Rechecked within 15. Serious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
      • “Staff MK and SV, and SK don't have CORE training after 3 months of employment. Staff MK doesn't have emergency prepredenss, children experiencing homelessnes, or child abuse neglect, and exploitation training. Staff SV doesn't have emergency prepredenss, children experiencing homelessnes, or child abuse neglect, and exploitation training. staff SK Staff MK doesn't have emergency prepredenss, children experiencing homelessnes, or child abuse neglect, and exploitation training. Staff SK doesn't have food worker training.”

        WAC 110-300-0106(3), WAC 110-300-0106(4), WAC 110-300-0106(12)

The state cited rules at all 3 of this center's inspections. Most Seattle-area centers inspected 3 times had fewer: 67% of 364.

How all 364 Seattle-area centers inspected 3 times compare

Of the 364 Seattle-area centers the state inspected 3 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:

  • None12%
  • 1 of 321%
  • 2 of 335%
  • All 333%This center
Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Washington DCYF

Last visit
September 26, 2025
On file
3 visits since January 2024 — all of them cited findings
Most serious
Serious — During the visit, it was observed that several staff members had expired food handler permits. · September 26, 2025

Washington DCYF publishes each citation in the licensor’s own words, with a risk level.

Sep 2025 Licensing visit 2 findings

Licensing visit · September 26, 2025

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious

During the visit, it was observed that several staff members had expired food handler permits.

Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space

WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b) · Serious

On the playground, two slides were placed directly on the ground without maintaining the required six-foot fall zone. One slide was placed on a turf grass surface, which does not provide adequate impact-absorbing material.

Report (PDF)

Jul 2024 Licensing visit 2 findings

Licensing visit · July 12, 2024

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(3) · Short Term

One teacher did not complete the Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) class, and another teacher did not complete the Child Care Basics class, both of which are required within the first three months of employment.

Food allergies and special dietary needs

WAC 110-300-0186(1) · Serious

The individual care plan stored with the prescription medication was observed to be unsigned by the healthcare provider.

Report (PDF)

Jan 2024 Licensing visit 3 findings

Licensing visit · January 11, 2024

Food allergies and special dietary needs

WAC 110-300-0186(1) / 110-300-0186(2) · Serious

Child C. does not have individual care plan for dairy allergy. Child SL allergic to tomato- no individula care plan. Child O. allergic to fish- no individula care plan. Child EY has Benadryl and Ep-pen for nut allergy. Individula care plan is missing information about symptoms, substitute foods, names of medications and how to administer medications. The plan is not signed by a medical provider. Parents have not trained staff on medication administration.

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(2)(b) / 110-300-0165(2)(d) · Serious

Window blinds were loose, not attached to safety hooks on the wall. Plastic bags accessible under the sink in classroom 2.

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(3) / 110-300-0106(4) / 110-300-0106(12) · Short Term / Serious

Staff MK and SV, and SK don't have CORE training after 3 months of employment. Staff MK doesn't have emergency prepredenss, children experiencing homelessnes, or child abuse neglect, and exploitation training. Staff SV doesn't have emergency prepredenss, children experiencing homelessnes, or child abuse neglect, and exploitation training. staff SK Staff MK doesn't have emergency prepredenss, children experiencing homelessnes, or child abuse neglect, and exploitation training. Staff SK doesn't have food worker training.

Report (PDF)

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.

What it costs

We couldn’t find it, so if you know, please share. We’ll publish it and work to confirm it with the provider directly too.

How they teach

Montessori

“Guided by Montessori principles, we nurture each child's natural curiosity, independence, and love of learning through hands-on experiences and thoughtful guidance.”

Who cares for your child

Miss Marilyn (Owner) since 1994, Marilyn Wellnitz (Owner) since 1994, Miss Aui (Co-Director/ Montessori Certified /Admin) since 2014 and Miss Paula (Island Room - Lead Teacher - Montessori Certified) since 2017.

32 years · Seattle-area median 13, among 77 that publish

Details

Phone
(206) 232-8900
Address
8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island, 98040
License
PL-18728
Quality program
Early Achievers Enrolled
Established
1994

We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, Working Connections subsidy, cost, hours and late pickup, a typical day, sick and biting policies, and who owns it. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.

Run Creative Learning Center Montessori? Correct or add anything here, free.
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.

How they teach

Who cares for your child

State record

From Washington DCYF’s published reports, last checked November 3, 2026.

Washington’s four risk levels, highest first: Immediate, Serious, Short Term, Long Term. Deadlines from DCYF procedure PRO 10.1.21.

Ages

Age groups as Washington defines them: WAC 110-300-0005 (infant to 11 months, toddler 12 to 29 months, preschool 30 months to 6 years, school age 5 to 12 years).

Details

Medium means the middle half of Seattle-area’s 855 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 41 to 115 children. Small is 6 to 40; large is 116 to 323.

The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.

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