Seattle · Licensed center
The Goldfinch School
At a glance
- Small developmental center, licensed for 36 children.
- Hours 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 5 days a week, year round.
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 2 of its 4 licensing inspections since August 2023. It lists no valid complaint about this center.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Mar 5, 20261 citation
Storage of hazardous and maintenance suppliesSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“The storage room in the preschool class was open and accessible to children. (was then closed and locked during visit).”
WAC 110-300-0260(2)(a)(b)
Mar 18, 20252 citations
Training requirementsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“One staff needs to update BBP training. One staff needs to renew food handlers training.”
WAC 110-300-0106(12)
Supervising childrenShort Term. Fix within 10 business days. Rechecked within 15.
“Need bells on front door and downstairs door leading to outside.”
WAC 110-300-0345(5)(b)
- Jan 18, 2024Nothing cited
- Aug 17, 2023Nothing cited
The state cited rules at 2 of this center's 4 inspections. Most Seattle-area centers inspected 4 times had more: 62% of 272 had rules cited at 3 or more.
How all 272 Seattle-area centers inspected 4 times compare
Of the 272 Seattle-area centers the state inspected 4 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- None7%
- 1 of 415%
- 2 of 417%This center
- 3 of 433%
- All 429%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Washington DCYF
- Last visit
- March 5, 2026
- On file
- 4 visits since August 2023 — 2 cited nothing
- Most serious
- Serious —
The storage room in the preschool class was open and accessible to children. (was then closed and locked during visit).
· March 5, 2026
Washington DCYF publishes each citation in the licensor’s own words, with a risk level.
Mar 2026 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · March 5, 2026
Storage of hazardous and maintenance supplies
WAC 110-300-0260(2)(a)(b) · Serious
The storage room in the preschool class was open and accessible to children. (was then closed and locked during visit).
Mar 2025 Licensing visit 2 findings
Licensing visit · March 18, 2025
WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious
One staff needs to update BBP training. One staff needs to renew food handlers training.
WAC 110-300-0345(5)(b) · Short Term
Need bells on front door and downstairs door leading to outside.
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.
A day here
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 5 days a week, year round
Schedule
- Schedule
- Full-day
How they teach
Developmental and play-based
“We seize this excitement with our hands-on, inquiry, and play-based approach.”
Who cares for your child
Bonnie Cassels (Head of School and Executive Director), 35 years in early childhood, Kate Prugh (Lead Teacher), 20 years in early childhood and Ximena Morales (Co-Lead Teacher), 20 years in early childhood.
Details
- Phone
- (206) 451-7172
- Address
- 4774 35th Ave NE, Seattle, 98105
- License
- PL-83284
- Quality program
- Early Achievers Enrolled
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, Working Connections subsidy, cost, 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.
How they teach
- Approach — Checked August 2026 thegoldfinchschool.com/philosophy
- Approach — Checked October 2026 thegoldfinchschool.com/about-1
Who cares for your child
- Staff thegoldfinchschool.com
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
A day here
- Hours, Calendar, Schedule — Checked July 2026 thegoldfinchschool.com
Details
- Phone, Ages on the license — Checked September 2026 findchildcarewa.org
- Website — Checked July 2026 thegoldfinchschool.com
- Address, Quality program — Checked June 2026 data.wa.gov
- License — Checked March 2026 data.wa.gov
- Ages they serve — Checked September 2026 thegoldfinchschool.com
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.