Licensed center

Seattle Learning Center Montlake Branch

A play-based center, licensed for 26 children. Preschool rooms have one adult per five children, under Washington’s limit of ten. Care for a preschooler is $3,028 a month, more than 63 of 66 Seattle-area full-time prices. No complaint investigation has found a violation here, true of 207 of 218 similar-size Seattle-area centers.

How they teach

Play-based

“SLC is a play-based school.”In their words. seattlelearningcenter.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

One adult for every five preschoolers

Fewer children per adult than Washington’s legal limit for preschoolers (30 months through 6 years, not in kindergarten): 1:10 in groups of up to 20 (WAC 110-300-0356(5)).

One adult for every 3.5 children. Shortlist has not yet sourced this state’s legal ratio limit, so there is nothing to set this beside yet.

Lily Talley (Owner and Executive Director) since 2009, Marissa Herrera (Assistant Maple Teacher and Cook) since 2014, Brandon Talley (School Administrator and Support Teacher) since 2014, Tammy Tomono (Assistant Teacher) since 2017, Raquel Relatado (Maple Lead Teacher) since 2019, Kelsey Grootsky (Billing Specialist) since 2020, Aubrey McCann (Willow Co-Lead Teacher and Program Coordinator) since 2023, Renee Arevalos (Willow Co-Lead Teacher and Curriculum Coordinator) since 2024, Sheva Bennett (Assistant Teacher) since 2025, Sofia Vierra (Support Teacher) since 2025 and Kendall Kageyama (Support Teacher) since 2025.

Of 2,391 Seattle-area providers, 61 publish how long a named staff member has been there; the longest tenure at each of those has a median of thirteen years.

What it costs

$3,028 a month for a preschooler

Preschool$3,028

Higher than 63 of 66 Seattle-area providers that publish a full-time preschool price.

Seattle Learning Center Montlake BranchMost Seattle-area prices (middle 80%)

Scale $1,000 to $4,000 a month. Seattle-area prices as of September 26, 2026. Sibling discount: 5% sibling discount per enrolled sibling; 2.5% if an older sibling has graduated. Prices from their website, September 2026.

What the state has found

No complaint investigation has found a violation since February 2023

207: none11: one to four0: five or more

The 218 Seattle-area centers licensed for 6 to 40 children, the size band this one falls in, as of September 26, 2026.

Larger centers have more complaint investigations, so Seattle Learning Center Montlake Branch (26 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
August 12, 2025
On file
3 visits since September 2023 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
Washington DCYF does not publish whether a finding was corrected.
Most serious
Serious — need to remove toilet brush and plunger from bathroom accessibel to children. Licensee removed on site during visit. · September 20, 2024

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.

Aug 2025 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · August 12, 2025

Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space

WAC 110-300-0146(1) · Short Term

Toddler playground- some equipment in the toddler play area dirty and needs cleaning.

Report (PDF)

Sep 2024 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · September 20, 2024

Storage of hazardous and maintenance supplies

WAC 110-300-0260(5) · Serious

need to remove toilet brush and plunger from bathroom accessibel to children. Licensee removed on site during visit.

Report (PDF)

Sep 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · September 6, 2023

Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space

WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b) · Serious

need to clean the toddler mats outside. need to replenish wood chips to 9 inches deep.

Report (PDF)

A day here

Outdoors
Outdoor time twice daily rain or shine, extended to two-plus hours in good weather, with walking field trips to nearby parks (the brand’s policy for all its schools)

Details

Website
seattlelearningcenter.com
Address
2734 Montlake Blvd E.
License
PL-27784, active
Ages
3 months to 5 years
Established
2009

Do you run Seattle Learning Center Montlake Branch? Everything a program can tell parents is already on this page. Correct anything that is wrong. It is 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

Who cares for your child

What it costs

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