First Place School

Center · Seattle · 172 20th Ave

What kind of place is this?

Size 92 children licensed In the middle half for Seattle centers, where the middle half licenses 43–121. Measured across 576 Seattle centers, 2026-08-17.

Who will be with our child?

Will it fit our family?

Ages served 12 months to 5 years
Hours 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Schedule full-day
Accepts subsidy Yes

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Early Achievers Level 4
License status Active

State record — Washington DCYF

Last visit
February 5, 2026
On file
3 visits since November 2023 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
Washington DCYF does not publish whether a finding was corrected.
Most serious
SeriousLicensor observed staff / volunteer that are missing training for prevention of child abuse and neglect. Date Disputed Date Disputed · February 5, 2026

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.

Feb 2026 Licensing visit 7 findings

Licensing visit · February 5, 2026

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(3) · Short Term

Licensor observed staff that is missing childcare basics. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(4) · Serious

Licensor observed staff / volunteer that are missing training for prevention of child abuse and neglect. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious

Licensor observed staff with food handlers permit that is expired. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Preservice requirements

WAC 110-300-0105(2) · Serious

Licensor observed backgrounds are cleared however the second requirement for preservice is TB. There are staff that do not have TB dates in Merit. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(2)(d) · Serious

Licensor observed plastic bags, gloves, other sufucation hazards that say keep out of reach of children accessible to children. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Emergency preparation and exiting

WAC 110-300-0166(3)(a) · Serious

01663(3)(a) Licensor observed an exit door that requires special knowledge to open. To open the door, you have to push extremely hard to get the door to open. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Immunizations and exempt children

WAC 110-300-0210(1)(2) · Long Term

Licensor observed child files that do not have current, complete and medically verified CIS immunization record from the Washington state immunization information system (WA IIS).

Report (PDF)

Feb 2025 Licensing visit 3 findings

Licensing visit · February 12, 2025

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(2)(b) · Serious

Window blinds were note in two of the classrooms upstairs that formed a loop.

Emergency preparation and exiting

WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c) · Serious

The two classrooms downstairs have gates in front of the doors.

Fire safety

WAC 110-300-0170(3)(i) · Short Term

The fire extinguisher in room 2 is not on the exit path. The fire extinguisher in room 1 was not mounted and on the handwashing sink.

Report (PDF)

Nov 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · November 9, 2023

Storage of hazardous and maintenance supplies

WAC 110-300-0260(1)(a) · Serious

Disinfectant wipes and a bottle of hand sanitizer were observed stored on top of children's wooden lakeshore type cubbies and were viewed not inaccessible to children, but within a child's reach above where a child would hang their coats.

Report (PDF)

Before you tour

First Place School hasn’t published

Cost, sick and biting policies.

Ask what changed after the eight findings Washington DCYF ranked Serious, most recently in February 2026.It does not publish whether a finding was fixed. The rest carry its lower risk levels.

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, teaching approach.

Who will be with our child

Not yet reported: children per teacher.

Will it fit our family

Not yet reported: days / week, holiday closures.

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 First Place School? 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.