ZIP 98038 · Licensed center
The Learning Experience - Maple Valley
At a glance
- Large center, licensed for 175 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
Someone reported concerns to the state, and it found both valid, most recently in September 2026. The state cited no rules at any of its 4 licensing inspections since August 2023.
See each inspection and complaint
Complaints the state found valid
Received Jun 12, 2026Valid complaint, 1 rule citedresolved Sep 1, 2026
“Concerns with supervision.,Concerns that staff failed to report an incident to parents and to the department.”
The state’s description of the complaint
Duty to protect children and report incidentsSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“During the complaint inspection, Licensor observed there was enough evidence to determine that a violation had occurred. Interviews determined that parents were not notified of the incident and that the staff involved did not report within the time frame to the department.”
WAC 110-300-0475(2)
Received Sep 18, 2024Valid complaint, 1 rule citedresolved Jan 2, 2025
Prohibited behavior and discipline, and physical separation of childrenSerious. Fix within 5 business days. The licensor rechecks within 10.
“During the Complaint Inspection and Interviews, it was determined that a staff member grabbed a child by the arms, leaving marks and bruises on the child.”
WAC 110-300-0331(1)
Of the 210 Seattle-area centers licensed for 116 to 323 children, 98 (47%) have no valid complaint in the last three years; 63 (30%) have two or more, as this center does.
How all 210 similar-size centers compare
Of the 210 Seattle-area centers licensed for 116 to 323 children, how many valid complaints each had in the last three years:
- None47%
- Fewer than 223%
- 2 or more30%This center
Licensing inspections
- Mar 26, 2026Nothing cited
- Jan 2, 2025Nothing cited
- Dec 5, 2023Nothing cited
- Aug 2, 2023Nothing cited
The state cited no rules at any of this center's 4 inspections. Most Seattle-area centers inspected 4 times had at least one: 93% of 272.
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%This center
- 1 of 415%
- 2 of 417%
- 3 of 433%
- All 429%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Washington DCYF
- Last visit
- July 23, 2026
- On file
- 4 visits since August 2023 — all of them cited nothing · 2 complaint investigations
- Most serious
- Serious —
During the complaint inspection, Licensor observed there was enough evidence to determine that a violation had occurred. Interviews determined that parents were not notified of the incident and that the staff involved did not report within the time frame to the department.
· July 23, 2026
Washington DCYF publishes each citation in the licensor’s own words, with a risk level.
Jun 2026 Complaint 2 valid issues
Complaint · Received June 12, 2026 · Resolved September 1, 2026
“Concerns with supervision.,Concerns that staff failed to report an incident to parents and to the department.”
The state’s description of the complaint
Duty to protect children and report incidents
WAC 110-300-0475(2) · Serious
During the complaint inspection, Licensor observed there was enough evidence to determine that a violation had occurred. Interviews determined that parents were not notified of the incident and that the staff involved did not report within the time frame to the department.
Sep 2024 Complaint 1 valid issue
Complaint · Received September 18, 2024 · Resolved January 2, 2025
Reported to the state by the program
Serious injury, valid issues and self-report are Washington’s own fields on its complaint listing.
Prohibited behavior and discipline, and physical separation of children
WAC 110-300-0331(1) · Serious
During the Complaint Inspection and Interviews, it was determined that a staff member grabbed a child by the arms, leaving marks and bruises on the child.
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) 433-8174
- Address
- 26424 242nd Ave SE, 98038
- License
- PL-83280
- Chain
- The Learning Experience
- Owner
- The Learning Experience brand is owned by Harvest Partners, a private-equity firm. Most of its schools are owned by franchisees.
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, and sick and biting policies. 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
- Website, Chain — Checked October 2026 thelearningexperience.com
- Address, License — Checked June 2026 data.wa.gov
- Owner — Checked October 2026 harvestpartners.com
The private-equity firm Harvest Partners lists The Learning Experience as a current investment, made in July 2025, and describes it as a franchisor and operator of early childhood education schools. So a single center may be run by a franchisee or by the company. harvestpartners.com
Large means the biggest quarter of Seattle-area’s 855 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 116 to 323 children. Small is 6 to 40; medium is 41 to 115.
The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.