The Mermaids Lagoon

Center · Seattle · 2401 Utah Ave S

What kind of place is this?

Size 200 children licensed Larger than the middle half of Seattle centers, where the middle half licenses 43–121. Measured across 576 Seattle centers, 2026-08-17.

How this compares

Washington DCYF cited something at 5 of the 5 visits below. Across Seattle centers it cites something at about 67% of visits. Each state decides what gets written up, so this compares Seattle with Seattle and never with another state.

Will it fit our family?

Ages served 1 month - 6 years
Hours 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Days / week 5

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Early Achievers Enrolled
License status Active

State record — Washington DCYF

Last visit
July 8, 2026
On file
5 visits since February 2024 — all of them cited findings · 4 complaint investigations
Fixed?
Washington DCYF does not publish whether a finding was corrected.
Most serious
SeriousLicensor observed staff that do not have food handlers permit. Date Disputed Date Disputed · July 8, 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.

Jul 2026 Licensing visit 4 findings

Licensing visit · July 8, 2026

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(8) · Short Term

Licensor observed staff with expired safe sleep training. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious

Licensor observed staff that do not have food handlers permit. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Preservice requirements

WAC 110-300-0105(3) · Short Term

Licensor observed staff that do not have TB. Date Disputed Date Disputed

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(2)(d) · Serious

Licensor observed plastic bags accessible to children.

Report (PDF)

Mar 2026 Complaint 1 valid issue

Complaint · March 15, 2026 · Resolved June 21, 2026

Duty to protect children and report incidents

WAC 110-300-0475(2) · Serious

Center Director did not report to the department within 24 hours of having knoweldge about the injury. This finding is valid.

Report (PDF)

Jul 2025 Complaint 2 valid issues

Complaint · July 31, 2025 · Resolved September 17, 2025

Reported to the state by the program

Serious injury, valid issues and self-report are Washington’s own fields on its complaint listing.

Supervising children

WAC 110-300-0345(5)(c) · Serious

Self-report, staff left child on playground unsupervised and alone

Report (PDF)

Jul 2025 Licensing visit 4 findings

Licensing visit · July 23, 2025

Outdoor early learning program space

WAC 110-300-0145(8) · Short Term

Sections of the back fence where possible soil erosion has occurred has gaps between the fence bottom to the ground of more than 3 1/2 inches.

Food allergies and special dietary needs

WAC 110-300-0186(1) · Serious

One child with an egg allergy and one child with a peanut/pistachio allergy, in their written health plans, no food substitutions were listed.

Safe food practices

WAC 110-300-0197(4) · Short Term

Food in the fridge, freezer, and pantry, viewed not in the original containers. Some containers are not labeled or dated, and some containers are labeled with no date.

Storage of hazardous and maintenance supplies

WAC 110-300-0260(2)(a)(b) · Serious

A stem type science room was observed being used as a storage room with furniture and various equipment stacked inside. The door has been removed, and the room is now accessible to children.

Report (PDF)

Feb 2025 Licensing visit 4 findings

Licensing visit · February 25, 2025

Storage of hazardous and maintenance supplies

WAC 110-300-0260(1)(a) · Serious

The cleaning supplies are accessible to children in two of the classroom.

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(8) · Short Term

The following staff do not have safe sleep documented in Merit: M.B., L.R., C.G., T.B. and J.W.

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(2)(a) · Serious

There is a pile of gravel on the infant playground that is a choke hazard. There are some fence gates outside that have sharp edges and splintered wood.

Medication

WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i) · Serious

In Toddler B and in Kindergarten Prep A the medication did not have the child's name on it or the prescription label. In Toddler B the allergy form did not have medication authorization. The allergy form for the child was not completed annually.

Individual employees are shown by initials. The state’s report, linked above, names them in full.

Report (PDF)

Feb 2025 Complaint 2 valid issues

Complaint · February 7, 2025 · Resolved May 29, 2025

The state lists this complaint on the provider’s record, but the state’s published report includes no citation detail.

Report (PDF)

Apr 2024 Complaint 1 valid issue

Complaint · April 29, 2024 · Resolved August 26, 2024

The state lists this complaint on the provider’s record, but the state’s published report includes no citation detail.

Report (PDF)

Mar 2024 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · March 1, 2024

Emergency preparation and exiting

WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c) · Serious

During the recheck onsite visit and later virtually on the same day, both exits are observed still partially blocked. Exit 1 with a cabinet. Exit 2 with 5 food service carts, 2 garbage cans, mop & bucket and food/consumable delivery items observed in the hallway partially blocking the exit. Items for Exit 2 were removed as observed in a picture sent virtually later in the day but the garbage cans and a mop and bucket still observed partially blocking the exit.

Report (PDF)

Feb 2024 Licensing visit 2 findings

Licensing visit · February 22, 2024

Medication

WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i) · Serious

Epi Pen observed with no prescription box or printed prescription label to identify who the medication was prescribed to, the prescription date, the expiration date, who prescribed the medication, instructions for the administration and storage of the medication.

Emergency preparation and exiting

WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c) · Serious

2 exits upstairs observed partially blocked in the hallway with equipment/furniture and with large boxes/food order supply items.

Report (PDF)

Before you tour

The Mermaids Lagoon hasn’t published

Cost, a typical day, sick and biting policies.

Ask what changed after the 12 findings Washington DCYF ranked Serious, most recently in July 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.

Will it fit our family

Not yet reported: schedule, 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 The Mermaids Lagoon? 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.