Bellevue · Licensed center
The Ark Early Learning Center
At a glance
- Small center, licensed for 38 children.
What to know
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 4 of its 5 licensing inspections since April 2023. It lists no valid complaint about this center.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Aug 10, 20261 citation
Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning spaceSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“The wood chip ground cover in the playground did not meet the required 9-inch depth, including the area around the slide exit.”
WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b)
- Feb 5, 2026Nothing cited
Dec 11, 20242 citations
Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning spaceSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“(a)The plane teeter-totter lacked a 6-foot fall zone around its structure, and several other small slides also did not meet the 6-foot fall zone requirement in both playgrounds. (ii) The wood chip ground cover did not meet the required 9-inch depth and was mixed with packed sand.”
WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b)
Safety requirementsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“Outlet safety caps were inserted into the TR outlets in the Baby and 1-year-old classrooms. Additionally, magnetic letters were observed in a free access to children that are not suitable for ages 2 years old. 110-300-016592)(c) - Electrical cords were observed within reach of children in the Monkey classroom. 110-300-0165(5)(f) - A refrigerator was connected to an extension cord.”
WAC 110-300-0165(2)(a)
Dec 8, 20231 citation
Infant safe sleep practicesSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“It is almost pitch black in the infant room and you cannot observe the infants skin color when they are sleeping. Quiet music is too loud to monitor breathing of infants.”
WAC 110-300-0291(1)(d), WAC 110-300-0291(1)(e)
Apr 25, 20231 citation
Training requirementsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“S. needs CCB”
WAC 110-300-0106(4)
The state cited rules at 4 of this center's 5 inspections. Seattle-area centers inspected 5 times split three ways: 39% had fewer, 39% the same, and 22% more (77 centers).
How all 77 Seattle-area centers inspected 5 times compare
Of the 77 Seattle-area centers the state inspected 5 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- None1%
- 1 of 53%
- 2 of 59%
- 3 of 526%
- 4 of 539%This center
- All 522%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Washington DCYF
- Last visit
- August 10, 2026
- On file
- 5 visits since April 2023 — 1 cited nothing
- Most serious
- Serious —
The wood chip ground cover in the playground did not meet the required 9-inch depth, including the area around the slide exit.
· August 10, 2026
Washington DCYF publishes each citation in the licensor’s own words, with a risk level.
Aug 2026 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · August 10, 2026
Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space
WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b) · Serious
The wood chip ground cover in the playground did not meet the required 9-inch depth, including the area around the slide exit.
Dec 2024 Licensing visit 2 findings
Licensing visit · December 11, 2024
Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space
WAC 110-300-0146(1)(a)(b) · Serious
(a)The plane teeter-totter lacked a 6-foot fall zone around its structure, and several other small slides also did not meet the 6-foot fall zone requirement in both playgrounds. (ii) The wood chip ground cover did not meet the required 9-inch depth and was mixed with packed sand.
WAC 110-300-0165(2)(a) · Serious
110-300-0165(2)(a) - Outlet safety caps were inserted into the TR outlets in the Baby and 1-year-old classrooms. Additionally, magnetic letters were observed in a free access to children that are not suitable for ages 2 years old. 110-300-016592)(c) - Electrical cords were observed within reach of children in the Monkey classroom. 110-300-0165(5)(f) - A refrigerator was connected to an extension cord.
Dec 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · December 8, 2023
WAC 110-300-0291(1)(d) / 110-300-0291(1)(e) · Serious
It is almost pitch black in the infant room and you cannot observe the infants skin color when they are sleeping. Quiet music is too loud to monitor breathing of infants.
Apr 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · April 25, 2023
WAC 110-300-0106(4) · Serious · No longer on the state’s site as of August 5, 2026
S. needs CCB
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.
Details
- Phone
- (425) 644-5414
- Address
- 411 156th Ave NE, Bellevue, 98007
- License
- PL-15732
- Quality program
- Early Achievers Level 3
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, Working Connections subsidy, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, sick and biting policies, and who owns it. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.
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.
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
Details
- Phone, Ages on the license — Checked September 2026 findchildcarewa.org
- Address, License — Checked June 2026 data.wa.gov
- Quality program — Checked April 2026 data.wa.gov
Small means the smallest quarter of Seattle-area’s 855 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 6 to 40 children. Medium is 41 to 115; 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.