this is an update from my previous review. Unfortunately, Discovery Center turned their back on us when we most needed. 2 weeks before our start date, my spouse was laid off and we needed subsidy to pay part of the tuition. We let them know and they immediately changed their minds about our enrollment. They said: "Either pay full price without the subsidy or we will not accept your kid". On their end, the money they receive is the same - the only issue is they had to report the paperwork and taxes related to it. School in their response claims my kids have never been part of the school: As mentioned in my original review, it is because they decided not to enroll our kids TWO WEEKS before we started. This is the whole point why we wrote the review. read more

We left the area permanently in April 2022. Otherwise, Discovery Center Child Care would've been our only choice. We started to send our son here in September 2019, and in July 2021 our daughter too. Nothing could've been better with the place. The teachers are caring and detail oriented, and we receive feedback about the kids from time to time. The kids love going there. They are brought outside when the weather permits, and we get to see the videos. Indoors, they work on interesting art, scientific, and kitchen projects. The curriculum is so rich that I find it hard to enumerate completely. The bottom line is, the kids really love it and we see their amazing growth over time. My son's potty training went well when he turned 3. At home we followed the teachers' guidance to extend the training. The process was not easy, but the teachers' patience made it much less challenging. We'd definitely recommend this place. read more

Both my kids went to the Discovery center so we had an experience with toddler, preschooler and after-school classes during the last two years. For my older kid we had to switch to an after-school closer to our new location after we moved - the center was in a walking distance from our previous home - but I keep driving my younger kid to the Discovery because we really like this place. As full-time working parents we appreciate all the attention our kids have in the center, and the teachers are working hard to provide the best care possible to each kid based on their needs. Unlike our previous preschool in CA, in Discovery I have regular parent-teacher conferences to learn about my kid's academic progress and social skills assessment. I can track my kid's daily meals and naps via app, and both my husband and me enjoy photos from arts-and-crafts and outdoor play my kid is engaged in. Pretty big outdoor space was also a big plus for me when I toured other schools in the area - kids have a lot of space to run, exercise and play. Both my kids made friends with their classmates and bonded with the teachers so it makes it easier for us to separate during the morning drop-offs. I'm very happy we found this place and highly recommend it! read more

I am very disappointed with the Discover Center. We sent our toddler here for a week, and couldn't bare to keep her there longer. I had too many concerns with the teacher who cares for the toddler room (1-2 year olds) in the morning (name withheld), enough to go find another daycare immediately. Couple of anedotes: 1. During the drop-offs, she did not offer to explain or educate myself or my wife on the processes of drop-off, which being new to this daycare center, is not unreasonable to not know or forget where to sign-in or where the cubbies are. 2. In one morning, while the children were eating their breakfast, there were no high chairs available so I asked where I could place her and first she points to a chair meant for older children, and when that didn't work, she didn't offer any other solution. I'm standing with my child, asking "is there somewhere else we can put her in the meantime?" which as the childcare provider, should have alternatives or some type of solution to offer our child before I even look around myself! 3. Overall, she appeared to be unhelpful and uncooperative in general. I understand it's a two way street, and I am more than willing to work with the teachers to make sure our child has a good transition into a new environment, but felt like I was running into a brick wall in the mornings with her. read more

We could not be happier with the choice we made enrolling our 6 month old baby here! As first time parents we were so nervous about child care but the amount of love and support all the staff has for our baby girl is amazing! Barbara, the lead infant room teacher is so wonderful, I always left knowing my baby was in the best care. They have impeccable communication which was the biggest deal for me (also being a teacher myself, I believe communication is everything). Overall great facility and teachers! We can't wait for our little one to join again in the fall! read more

We have been taking our child to the Discovery Center since he was 4 months old, he is now 4. The staff is wonderful and they truly care about the children. They have a nice playground, the location is great, and they are less expensive than the competitors in the area. The only complaint that I have is that they based their closure and opening delays on the Lake Washington School District while the competitors do not. So if LWSD closes due to teacher work days or inclement weather, the Discovery Center will also be closed, but you will still be charged. This policy can be frustrating since parents assume the risk of getting their child to and from daycare. Aside from the LWSD based school closures this a wonderful place to send your child. ==================== This email/fax message is for the sole use of read more

I cannot say enough about how wonderful the Discovery Center is. My daughter and I have always felt like family. Miss Kelly and Miss Rita are always responsive when I have questions or concerns, and my daughter's well being and education are an absolute priority for them. My daughter started going to the Discovery Center just before her 1st birthday and this is her last year before she starts kindergarten! As a single parent, life gets pretty stressful, but knowing that she has a home away from home puts my mind at ease. Miss Kelly, Miss Rita and all of the teachers really invest in each child and it shows. Most days my daughter doesn't want to leave! Best childcare choice by far :) read more

Best Daycare on the Eastside! I have been bringing my Nefu Bryce here for years and all the staff that works here is very professional and Great! With kids! Thank you Discovery for the piece of mind knowing my kids will always be safe and happy in your hands! When your kids look forward to going to Daycare you know you have found the correct one! The price is also very affordable. I would recommend this place to all friends and family :) read more

Back when I was pregnant, the arrangement we had with our future in-home nanny fell through about a month before I was going to give birth. We were desperately trying to find a decent daycare that had a space in their infant room. We toured other, more popular 'chain' daycares and things were just SO hectic. The infant room was fine, but the toddler/school ages were just SO CRAZY. We also toured a significantly more expensive daycare in the area, and while it seemed great, it was just SO EXPENSIVE for us, plus they had a 9-12 month wait list. We contacted Kelly, and luckily she had room!!!! We took a tour and it was great. Everything was clean, kids seemed happy, and while it is not a large daycare, you can tell that the teachers really do care about the students. Our daughter started in the infant room at three months, and now she turns three in July- and she LOVES IT. Luckily she has a fairly social personality, so she likes being around other kiddos and we didnt have a ton of separation anxiety issues during transition periods. Our child is cared for, fed, and happy (mostly, minus the occasional crabby day lol) , and overall we are very happy we chose Discovery. read more

My daughter attended their after school care program last school year. The staff is friendly enough, but there seemed to be a lot of turn over. Ultimately it wasn't a good fit for an older child - she was often bored and there was very little supervision. When a spot opened up at another facility we jumped at the chance to move her. The low review is for poor business practices. It is November and they just "found" a stack of checks from May. They deposited with giving families little warning (thank goodness I balance my checkbook the old fashioned way) but it could have meant more to other families. I am assuming the stack of checks was not locked away if it was so easily misplaced. Very concerning that account information could have been easily accessed. read more

If I could give this place 1600 more stars I would. Our daughter has been coming here full time since she was 6 weeks, and you know that knot in your stomach when you leave your kid and you're not sure if she'll be okay? Yah, I didn't get that, I was even more comfortable leaving our daughter with these amazing ladies OVER our own parents! I couldn't enforce enough how caring and sweet everyone here is. Daycare is expensive and we almost went to one that was 'affordable/cheap' but neither of us felt safe leaving her there.. So after a couple weeks of budgeting and ultimately moving to Marysville, and the excruciating 405 drive every morning, we still wouldn't and couldn't even imagine taking her anywhere else. Everyone here is always happy to see every baby and child, and you can see how much they care, they all always respect the parent's decisions and schedules and go out of their way to ensure your list is followed as closely as anyone that isn't your own child's parent can follow! Its hard.. it's really hard to leave your child all day all week.. So you can afford to keep a roof over your head and their mouths fed.. But at least at the Kirkland Discovery Center, you can know they are growing up loved and safe with ladies that put your child's safety and well being even before their own. If you work 9-5 every day of the week, whether out of choice or necessity.. I couldn't recommend a safer more loving place for your precious little one to stay. read more

I scheduled a tour on their website for and I arrived shortly before my appointment to ensure I could find a parking space. I rang the doorbell but there was no answer. I understand it gets busy. I was let in by a parent picking up their child and I waited in the lobby. There was no one in the lobby or in the office. There was a woman in the kitchen behind the desk as well as a teacher to the classroom on the left with preschool age children. I did not mind waiting but no one made any acknowledgement that they noticed I was there. I made eye contact with the ladies in those respective rooms but no one asked if I needed help or if I was waiting for someone. It was twenty minutes before I left the center. I am highly disappointed that i had scheduled a tour hoping it would be a good fit for my family and no one showed up. I am highly disappointed that no one asked to see if they could help me. If the center director was unable to make the tour, there should have been a phone call or an email and I would have been more than accommodating. However, there was no communication whatsoever. Communication is highly important and the lack of communication from anyone is unprofessional and concerning. I left the center feeling frustrated and not having a good impression read more

We sent our daughter to the Discovery Center when she was eight months old and were very pleased to see that she had a wonderful experience in the infant room. Thanks to the support of the director Kelly and all other teachers, Ms. Maria, Ms. Inna, Ms. Mina, Ms. Selmin, she adjusted herself to the new environment within a week and enjoyed herself every day afterwards. The room, furnished with all kinds of toys for babies, was clean and spacious with good sunlight throughout the day. As a result of her interaction with the loving teachers and other babies in the room, who we noticed were all happy and content, she quickly became more open and independent. We were extremely grateful for the love and care from the Center which helped our daughter made her solid first step into society. read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. It's probably okay for your child if you start them as an infant and it's what they grow used to. However, I cannot recommend this center for an older baby or toddler who is new to daycare. We initially planned to enroll our young toddler at this center, as most of the reviews I'd read were good, they had an opening, and I thought because it was a smaller center, maybe it'd be easier for my little one to adjust. I was completely wrong, and ultimately ended up pulling her out last minute, even though we lost our deposit. As far as the center itself is concerned, the location is terrible. You can only turn right into and out of the facility directly on 85th street, which gets to be tricky during peak traffic times. There's no other way to describe the playground than by saying it's sad. It feels more like a prison than a playground. It's small, the equipment is old, and nothing about it is park-like. Additionally, the facility and classrooms are cramped. The toddler room, for example, is so small, that there's barely enough room for all the kids to sleep during nap times without tripping over them. And forget about the kids eating meals within their classroom. Because the rooms are so small, the kids eat in shifts in the kitchen, which means if they miss breakfast at 7:30, they don't eat breakfast. Additionally, of the meals I witnessed there, they were very rushed and chaotic. They offered little feeding assistance to the kids who weren't eating by themselves, and were slopping extra food on the plates of the kids who wanted seconds. The student/teacher ratio wasn't great in the toddler room either. I witnessed on a couple different occasions several kids crying while the lead teacher was changing a diaper and she had to have a random teacher come assist, instead of having a full-time assistant. They only had another teacher in the class if there were over 7 kids. I understand that's the max ratio per law, but when you have a toddler class that has such a big age range because of the size of your facility, 1 teacher per 7 kids isn't enough to keep the peace. In addition, I don't want to go so far as to name names, but one of the lead teachers there looked consistently disheveled and overwhelmed, and I overheard on two different occasions her raising her voice to toddlers. I understand that caring for toddlers is a lot of work, but it's really off-putting to hear somebody yell at a child who can barely speak. Finally, although there are more expensive daycares in the area, I felt the price for care at this center was high for what they offer, and the price we were quoted that we signed off on increased a week later, yet they failed to tell us about their planned rate increase when we signed up--talk about shady. There are better, bigger centers with more offerings that are less expensive. I found an excellent Montessori center, for example, that has a much more convenient location, friendlier staff, smaller ratios, and that serves all organic food by a personal chef, AND that's open an hour longer every day. I don't have any worries after I drop my child off at her new daycare, but I certainly did when I dropped her off at Discovery Center. I'd worry about her constantly because the atmosphere was crowded, over-stimulating, and there weren't enough comforting teachers on hand to help soothe her when she was having a tough time. I'd highly recommend doing A LOT of research and touring several facilities before choosing Discovery Center. Don't make the same mistake we did. read more

My daughter has been attending this daycare for 8 months. I can't say enough about the directors and teacher at this facility. This is the first daycare I took my daughter to where they actually paid close attention to her dietary restrictions, something I struggled with at other larger daycares. Yes, this facility is small, but the teachers take time to really get to know each child. They have a great variety in the activities for the children, and begin teaching them basic curriculum to prep them for kindergarten. I am most fond of Kelly and Kelsey, and I want to personally thank them for being so accommodating to my family's crazy schedule and dynamic. They were more than helpful when my daughter went to her dad's house far away, and I needed to put her spot on hold with little notice. They also took the time to make me feel like I was supported during a very rough period, the absence of my daughter for several weeks. Thank you for all your kindness and hard work. read more

My daughter has been with Discovery Center for 3 years. The teachers are phenomenal with the kids and love them like they were their own. The center director is extremely welcoming, warm and energetic. The entire center revolves around having children thrive and having parents feel relaxed and comfortable that their precious kids are well taken care of. There is so much to appreciate about Discovery Center. They have an excellent curriculum for kids; provide nutritious and delicious hot meals and what I find important, they have a center owner on site most of the time... I am constantly giving positive feedback and recommendations about this place to anyone who is looking for a daycare because they certainly will not be disappointed! We certainly haven't been! read more

I'm giving 5 stars on behalf of my daughter. She has been in the infant room since she was three and a half months old, and it is SO HARD being a working momma, and putting them in someone else's hands which is why I'm writing this, to help the other mommas out there (and papas too). That being said we chose this place for the good energy and long tenured staff (tenure is so important). Anyhow, Ms. Ina and Ms. Sajel in the baby room are so loving, so experienced, and so good with my daughter that my daughter feels super secure, and has thrived in this environment! She doesn't even cry when I leave her with them (she 11 months old right now - and is peaking with her stranger anxiety) but just waves bye bye to me when I leave in the morning, and totally just hangs out with her teachers. She doesn't even let me give her to her papa like that (sorry papa). But like I said, she thrived, they are amazing, and I totally love the infant room teachers! read more

We have been very happy with the Discovery Center. Our daughter looks forward to her day at school where she gets to see her friends and teachers. She brings home art that she has made throughout the week, enjoys when the library bus stops by and constantly sings songs that she's learned. I'm pleased that the menu allows for a variety of food to be provided including meals and snacks. I have nothing but good things to say about all of the providers. I feel comfortable leaving my daughter every day knowing that she is in good hands. I would recommend anyone looking for child care in the area to drop by for a visit. read more

This is a clean center with qualifed care providers who are fun, enthusiastic and dedicated to the children in their care. We have been very pleased with the extended care program they offer for our 1st grader and would highly recommend it to other families! read more

We were referrred to the Discovery Center in 2011 when we were researching facilities for our 2.5 year old daughter. Upon our initial visit, Kelly, Center Director was thoguhtful and prompt to take a meeting and tour through the school. Our daughter has been attending for 1 year and has always been happy and thoughtful of her teachers and classmates. She sings songs about her teachers and includes her "best friends" names in these songs. While, I have experienced nothing but loving and caring people, they are structured, direct and kind. The measure for us is our daughters response to her day. Each night we ask how her day was and if she can share a specific event that she liked. She has a story each time and it includes a teacher, by name and her friends, an activity or class lesson. This is a great starting point for any chaild and we are thrilled to have found such a loving environment. read more