NELC is a hidden gem that we discovered by mistake (we needed daycare right away, and they had a spot). We are not religious, and many families are not. The school is also LGBTQ-friendly. Don't let the religious affiliation deter you either; it's a pro because the church will sponsor and subsidize cool events for your kids, like Easter celebrations with bounce houses, a fair, food, egg hunts, and Christmas celebrations. During Christmas Santa visited and took pictures with the kids for free. It's a small school where teachers worked for many years, and the community is close. Curriculum is well thought out and connected. Kids will go outside in the shaded playground; they have an indoor gym for rainy days, two meals and multiple snacks covered, and generous hours open. Moreover, the school has monthly special events and projects all free of charge, and the summer time features a weekly theme and special event each week (like reptile guy, tumblebus, etc). Even when there have been performances by the kids, the school will professionally record it to provide to the families for free after editing. What school does that? Over the two years we've been there, the school added weekly music class and weekly dance class by Seattle Dance Institute for the kids, all free of charge, and there's talk of adding language classes. The best part for us has been the diversity of the student body. We had a cultural night this year with foods from many different countries and traditional outfits modeled by the kids. Each kid gets individualized attention, and teachers will work with each family for concerns. Due to NELC preschool, our kid was accepted into a sought-after, highly capable private K-8 school this year (and it really is NELC because we did not do any teaching or letters or numbers at home). We mentioned having metal plates for the kids, and the school is looking into switching. The only con I can think of is the birthday celebrations with cupcakes and ice cream (sugar for your kid), which happen often. But it's a small thing. The admin and teachers are so sweet and worked with us for emergencies and went out of their way to make sure our kid adjusted and felt welcome and loved. read more

This place has been amazing for our kids growing up. the staff is so caring and nurturing, we can truly trust them as parents. the activities are plenty and a great mix of academic, creative and cultural learning. kids also have a chance to perform on stage three times a year and it's special to see them thrive and enjoy themselves. read more

NELC is a wonderful daycare and school. We have two kids there, and we couldn't imagine sending them anywhere else. The teachers and staff members really enjoy spending time with our kids and helping them grow. They're always loved and well taken care of at NELC. Can't recommend them highly enough. read more

Five Stars: Outstanding Care and Enrichment at NELC As of Oct 2025, we've been part of the NELC family for 14 months now, and choosing them for our son has been one of the best decisions we've made for his early childhood development. NELC offers a truly exceptional balance of nurturing care, engaging activities, and a solid community focus. What truly sets NELC apart is their incredible commitment to outdoor activity and hands-on enrichment. Our son gets to visit the playground at least twice a day - ensuring he gets crucial physical activity and fresh air. The planning for major events is simply fantastic--the Summer activities were huge hits, especially having the fire truck visit and bringing in petting animals for the kids to interact with. We also deeply appreciated the organized field trip, like the visit to the Seattle Children's Museum, which shows their dedication to educational experiences beyond the classroom walls. For parents and families seeking a daycare service that will mold young minds in the way of the Lord and provide good, nurturing care away from home, we recommend NELC wholeheartedly. The staff creates a consistently warm, stimulating, and faith-centered environment where our child feels safe and loved. NELC is an excellent choice, and while we believe there are always improvement opportunities--as with any thriving, growing organization--they consistently demonstrate a desire to listen to feedback and excel in their mission. Thank you to the entire NELC team for your dedication! read more

I have two kids in this school. My daughter started from toddler 1, 3 years ago and all the way to prek. And my son is in toddler 1 now. They love the school and I couldn't be more assured that my kids are in good hand. The teachers are so nice and they stayed in NELC for a long time, which is super important for little ones. The classrooms are very clean and they have good routines to wash their hands before and after the playtime and snack time. My kids are healthy and happy here. They made friends and learnt so many things from school. The school also held good events all through the year and have performance at least 2 times per year. I couldn't recommend more about this place. read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about NELC! It is truly a blessing to have found such an amazing early learning center that not only provides excellent education but also builds everything on a faith-based foundation. The teachers here genuinely love on their students -- you can feel it in the way they nurture, guide, and encourage the children every single day. I've been so grateful to see both of my boys thrive since joining the NELC community. They come home excited to share what they've learned, and I have peace of mind knowing they are in a safe, loving, and Christ-centered environment. If you're considering enrolling your little ones, I highly recommend this school! And for families with more than one child, it would be great to know if there are sibling discounts available -- because this is definitely the kind of place you'd want all your kids to experience. read more

Not sure how this place has any good reviews. Babies come home with bruises and are yelled at for crying (even if it's their 3rd day, it's normal got a 2 year old to cry in a new environment and screaming at them and telling them they're making everyone else cry is certainly not helping). They follow a very STRICT guideline on how they treat little babies (with very little care). If you want your kid to be borderline abused then send them here, they'll yell at and grab your child roughly and if you drop them off and they're screaming and crying they won't let you console them. Don't leave your kids with these untrained power grabbing people. They are not in it for the kids read more

My kiddo absolutely loves NELC. We started there a year ago when my kiddo was 6 months old, though they now take children 1 year and up. The teachers show such care and come up with lots of crafts and creative enrichment activities. The curriculum has been great and includes sign language, bible stories, letters, and numbers. I also love that they have a large indoor gym so they can run and play even in the bad weather. We've been so happy with our experience. read more

NELC has been a very positive experience for us. It is obvious that the teachers and carers put a great deal of thought and joy into our child's day. They know everyone's names and are very kind. Everytime my son has switched classes I get a bit nervous because the current teacher is so excellent... but his next teacher is always just as good and loving! They've also improved the curriculum quite a bit recently and it shows. My kiddo can count pretty high and is starting to learn letters - he just turned three. read more

ZERO STAR! This cannot be a house of God. A staff member harassing would be patrons after 3 minutes in the parking lot ... no accountability for bigoted behavior when addressed , no accountability when confronted with a better way to address a stranger ... even shooting the bird. YES , the middle finger was used in church ... I actually needed prayer ... I got more Godlessness instead. read more

I like it there now new director and well taken care of right Very nuturing please Heidi Burns Rourke read more

don't even send your child or work they are rude very disorganized hardly answer the phone very impatient and rude read more

I have my two babies here at NELC, we've been here since my 3yo was only 7 months old and I have nothing but great things to say about NELC. When we first enrolled in the middle of the pandemic, the teachers worked so hard to maintain a safe engaging learning environment. I was always kept in the loop as they navigate through changing policies and I've always felt safe with my child at NELC. Now my 3yo and 1yo both go to NELC and I get to see more of how the teachers truly care about the kids. There has also been a major improvement in their program and daily activities since we first enrolled - they take home their lesson plans for parents to see everyday and it's truly amazing to see my 3yo learning so much so quickly! The new director Ms. Joy is incredibly attentive to each child's development and noticeably passionate about nurturing the children. Truly grateful to be part of this special community. read more

A nice neighborhood day care which is a safe, clean and pleasant place to leave your precious. My daughter loves this place. It functions like a well oiled machine under the current director. I have absolutely no complaint at all. read more

I enrolled my daughter here in the cricket class when she was four months old. I can't tell you how amazing this place has been for both of us. She is now ten months old, and continually amazes me with the things that she has learned at "school" (I put it in quotations because I originally thought it was funny, but it's true!) Every teacher I'm come into contact with is caring and sweet to all the children. All the kids seem to be very happy to be there, and I have seen multiple (older) kids hug their teachers before they leave. The school is split up into classrooms by age and milestones, which is so great. My daughter is constantly around babies her own age, and I can see her learning from what the other babies are doing. The teachers are such team -players. If one classroom needs a hand, there is always someone there to help. Even the director, Jean, is constantly pitching in and I have seen her multiple times helping with the babies! Reading them books, or singing to them. The organization of the program as a whole is ever-evolving, but they do a great job. I can't imagine it's an easy job! They are open to parent suggestions always, and do parent dinners pretty often to keep an open dialogue. The bottom line is - it feels like family here. (For instance, I forgot formula the other day, and the director bought me some instead of having me commute all the way back!) My daughter loves it. I feel not only comfortable leaving her in the care of the teachers here, but actually feel as if it's the best thing I could be doing for her! She would not know half of what she knows if not for NELC. And I am never ever worried about her well being. From a parent, I would highly recommend NELC for kids of all ages. It can be so hard to leave your child with strangers, and I couldn't imagine a better situation. read more

Both my kids have gone to this school. The teachers really care about the students and the director is focused on licensing and the overall education standards you need to continually challenge kids. The school also has nice outdoor and indoor spaces for busy kids to play. I still have not seen a lot of daycares with the amount of indoor and outdoor place space available. With the rainy weather here in Seattle the indoor place space is a big plus for my busy kids. Classrooms are not cramped and are a good size. After only a month or so in the preschool classroom my two year old came home learning his colors and ABCs and numbers (something we had been working with him on for months). They take him on a lot of field trips and adventures, which he loves. My infant lights up every morning when i drop him off in the infant room where the staff is knowledgeable with decades of experience with infants. We looked a number of daycares but none measured up in terms of quality and cost. There is a new director named Jean as of May 2013. She can be reached at office@northgateearlylearning.org. read more

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This center should not be your first choice. While I encourage multicultural exchange the majority of the teachers barely know english. Infact two teachers for sure have a limited vocabulary with the majority of there word being negative statmens "No, don't, be quiet" for example. The large portion of the teachers aren't even actual educated teachers with degrees but rather glorified babysitters and poor ones at that. The church does own the center and demands payment regularly. They have been known to rob Peter to pay Paul. It is not cheap and for sure not well staffed. The church encourages cutting corners and cares nothing for the center other than thier scheduled payments. On one occasion teacher Pik Chuan actually allowed a preschooler to be left behind and another to run out into the street while on a field trip. I personally have seen her yell at children and belittle them. They will and have lied about the safety and care of the children at the center. The center itself has been under investigation by the DEL more than once for questions about abuse and neglect. But they won't tell you that. Before choosing any program go to the DEL Website and look up the center you are considering. read more

My wife and I enrolled our son here a little over a month ago and we couldn't be happier. Ever since, it seems like our son has become more vocal and has learned a lot as well. The faculty is very cordial and tight knit and the parents are very friendly. Jean, the director at NELC, has been very accommodating and I have heard nothing but great things about NELC from the other parents once Jean took over. The facilities are clean and they even have a full size gymnasium for the kids which should give them all the exercise they need. I suggest if you are looking for quality daycare in the North End to check out NELC. read more

We've been at this daycare center for four years and continue to appreciate the teacher's focus on child development both academically and socially. Jean the current director has done an amazing job focusing on curriculum development and providing staff time to create activities for the children. The staff's hardwork is reflected by the colorful work done by the children that is displayed all over the classrooms. This daycare center has a wonderful community atmosphere between the staff and parents. The extra bonus for the children is the outdoor space and full size gym for play time. The center provides a well-structured environment and healthy meals for the children. My child asks every night with excitment if he's going to daycare the next day. There is something to be said about that! read more

**I'd like to point out that I initially posted a 5-star review in April 2015. It is now March 2016, and this is my current, updated comment: We love the teachers and staff but the church (IFGF, http://ifgfseattle.org/) that owns the center is crazy. It's a money-hungry organization that treats its staff poorly and did all it could to destroy a parent group that was formed to work with the church pastor/administrators, the daycare center director and the rest of the parents. Last summer the church increased the tuition by $250 with only one month of notice. Subsequently, many families left. With pressure from the parent group they agreed to make the tuition increase less drastic, but the church leadership has been very difficulty to deal with. Unfortunately, a very talented and wonderful director left due to the heavy-handed and profit-oriented church administration, and many of the best teachers have also left. Since then, about half of the families have left. The church administration is totally unpredictable and I feel like they will either suddenly hike up the tuition again or shut the place down. It's really too bad, because our daughter really loves her teachers and enjoys the center. The church is ruining everything. We're are on several waiting lists at other centers, but I will be sad to pull our daughter - she will miss the great teachers and her friends. read more

Leah (the director) was a pain to deal with and very unfair to the children, she would go on and on about her yrs and experience but couldn't handle the simplest things.. the kids were not well looked after, my child got in trouble for opening a door on the backside of the gym and walking out.. at 4yrs old. WHY was he even able to get to the door with out anyone watching him and why wasn't the door locked??? he could have walked off and never came back.. unacceptable! there was also serious communication break down between the children and the teachers.. I'm not racist at all, but none of the teachers were english speaking as a native language.. I couldn't understand a word they said, so HOW COULD THE CHILDREN!!!!???!!??? so when we got reports of our child not listening, we questioned him and he said "I can't understand what thy are saying" I would give them ZERO stars if it were available. read more

Our two kids have been at NELC for over a year and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this neighborhood school. Caring teachers, happy kids and responsive administration at an exceptionally reasonable price. I know that when I drop them off in the morning they are going to be well cared for and leave with a smile at the end of the day. The school has cheerful classrooms, an outdoor playground and as a bonus there is a HUGE gymnasium so they can runaround and play even on the rainiest of Seattle days. Definitely recommend you come check it out if you're looking for childcare in NE Seattle. read more

My son has been here since he was 10 months old and he is now 2 years old so he started out in the infant room before transitioning into the toddler room. The different names for each age-appropriate classroom, (Crickets, Honeybee's and Dragonflies) is representative of the creativity and fun that is provided for the children by the staff. Daily report cards are extremely detailed for the infant room and still gives me a good summary of my son's day and songs/topics that he's learned. The teachers are very methodical about handwashing and frequent diaper changes. My son is particularly enthusiastic about the large indoor gym full of balls, frisbees and tricycles. He is also a big fan of outdoor time and nature walks in every kind weather except for rain (although he would love go out in the rain too if he could :P) Parental involvement at planning meetings have been very impressive. I would highly recommend this daycare center!! The waistlist was VERY short - at least when we started in 2009, we were able to enroll 1 month after meeting the Director. read more

I was very disappointed, I had decided to do a "drop-by" because I want to get a raw feel, if you will, as to how this facility ran it's daycare. I showed up and found it a little difficult to find the main door. After wandering around and finally asking a neighbor I was directed to a door that stated it was the main door that all visitors should go to. I rang the doorbell only to be greeted by a woman that said she didn't know me.. and seemed to withdraw like I wasn't supposed to be there... Obviously I'm new and told her I was looking to speak to the director so that I could get some info about possibly registering my child there. She closed the door and went back into the dark room and another woman emerged only to ask if I'd made an apt... ??? Wouldn't you already know that if you were the director? Not trying to be sarcastic, but this is all apart of judging on whether or not a place is deemed as passing so I feel comfortable leaving my child. The "director" stated she was short staffed and had a child with her in her office, I believe, but had to "throw me a card" before she hastily shut the door. Although I am a new mother, I am pretty laid back about most things, but I found the people that I interacted with not to be friendly at all. I appreciate the security, however, why would you have a door that visitors are supposed to come to but it shares as a classroom?... not sure.. I regretfully will not be able to rate well or return there because I was so discouraged just by that brief interaction. I also took into account that there was not an apt made, but to be proactive in finding a safe and secure place I want there to be a wholesome and rounded environment that I will not only feel safe about but also welcomed. I say parents be careful. read more