Waxhaw · Licensed center

The Learning Experience

What the state has found

The state cited rules at 5 of its 16 licensing inspections since August 2023.

Of the 256 Charlotte-area centers with 10 or more licensing inspections, more than 99% had rules cited at some but not all of them, as this center did. Fewer than 1% had rules cited at all of them.

Licensing inspections

Jun 17, 2026No rules cited
May 27, 2026No rules cited
Apr 28, 2026No rules cited
Apr 22, 20268 citations
  • “Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). Staff members B.P, and A.L. did not obtain or complete forms for a criminal background check within the required timeline and do not have a valid qualifying letter on file.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/6/2026

  • “Children's records that include an application for enrollment, medical and immunization records, and permission to seek emergency medical care was not on file for each child. Four (4) children's files did not have medical records on file.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

  • “A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility.A qualifying letter was not in the staff files for S.T, L.H.C, B.P, and A.L. for review.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

  • “A child's file did not have a statement with parent signature acknowledging receipt and explanation of the Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy and/or the acknowledgement did not have all the required information. One (1) child's file did not contain an acknowledgment receipt of the policy.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

4 more from this inspection
  • “Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. The last fire inspection was completed in January of 2025”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/4/2026

  • “New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. Staff members S.T. and L.C. did not have sixteen (16) hours of orientation documented within the first six (6) weeks.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

  • “Medical exam or health assessment record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission. Four (4) children's files did not have a completed medical exam or health assessment on file within the timeline.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

  • “The child care administrator and all staff did not complete the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment. Staff members B.J, L.H.C, L.C, and S.T. did not have a certificate proving completion of the required training.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

Mar 3, 2026No rules cited
Oct 21, 2025No rules cited
Sep 2, 2025No rules cited
Jul 10, 2025No rules cited
Jul 2, 20251 citation
  • “Children were not adequately supervised at all times. A child was able to open the door to their classroom, leave the classroom, enter the lobby area where she was for approximately two (2) minutes at which she returned the child to the classroom. The teachers were unaware the child was not in the room.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 7/9/2025

Jun 25, 2025No rules cited
May 21, 2025No rules cited
May 15, 20251 citation
  • “The EPR Plan did not include the date of the last revision of the plan. The EPR plan was reviewed by all staff but the review date was not indicated or updated.”

    Violation corrected during visit

Oct 24, 2024No rules cited
Sep 9, 20242 citations
  • “Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. On 9/5/24 the menu for lunch reflected: whole grain mac cheese, sweet peas & carrots, seasonal fruit salad, milk. The "menu change" form for lunch reflected for lunch: sunbutter wraps, peaches, peas and corn. While monitoring daily reports for lunch on 9/5/24, a childs meal reflected: applesauce, peaches and whole grain rice.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 9/23/2024

  • “Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The meal I monitored today was a snack that consisted of apple slices, pepperonis, water, with cheese sticks as a vegetarian option. The original menu reflected the following for snack: whole grain cheddar crackers, fresh cucumber wheels, water. The menu change form was blank for todays snack, therefore the meal served was not posted.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 9/23/2024

May 21, 20244 citations
  • “Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. An infant in room three (3) there was a bottle not dated.”

    Violation corrected during visit

  • “All vehicles used to transport children were not free of hazards. Vehicles. The mini-bus with the license plate ending in 9948 tire tread was less than 2/3 of an inch. The tire was on the front passenger side of the mini-bus.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/28/2024

  • “Staff did not provide assistance to each child to ensure good hygiene. In room number ten (10) there was a teacher who was having a conversation with a child who was practicing unsanitary hygiene, and when this was pointed out, she did assist the child with hand-washing.”

    Violation corrected during visit

  • “Medication authorization, giving the caregiver standing authorization did not meet the specifications in rule. There was an over the counter cream permission slip which needed a date correction. There was also an over the counter cream permission slips in rooms eight (8) and eleven (11) that did not have a current non-expired permission slips.”

    Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/28/2024

Aug 15, 2023No rules cited
Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — North Carolina DCDEE

Last visit
June 17, 2026
On file
16 visits since August 2023 — 11 cited nothing, 9 of those unannounced
Fixed?
All 16 record a correction, in the licensor’s own words.
Most serious
North Carolina DCDEE does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.

North Carolina DCDEE describes every citation in the licensor’s own words and records the correction in that same text — the only one of the six states that publishes whether a violation was fixed. It attaches no rule number and no report document.

Jun 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
May 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Apr 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Apr 2026 Unannounced visit 8 findings

Unannounced visit · April 22, 2026

Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). Staff members B.P, and A.L. did not obtain or complete forms for a criminal background check within the required timeline and do not have a valid qualifying letter on file.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/6/2026

Children's records that include an application for enrollment, medical and immunization records, and permission to seek emergency medical care was not on file for each child. Four (4) children's files did not have medical records on file.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility.A qualifying letter was not in the staff files for S.T, L.H.C, B.P, and A.L. for review.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

A child's file did not have a statement with parent signature acknowledging receipt and explanation of the Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy and/or the acknowledgement did not have all the required information. One (1) child's file did not contain an acknowledgment receipt of the policy.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. The last fire inspection was completed in January of 2025

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/4/2026

New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. Staff members S.T. and L.C. did not have sixteen (16) hours of orientation documented within the first six (6) weeks.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

Medical exam or health assessment record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission. Four (4) children's files did not have a completed medical exam or health assessment on file within the timeline.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

The child care administrator and all staff did not complete the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment. Staff members B.J, L.H.C, L.C, and S.T. did not have a certificate proving completion of the required training.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/14/2026

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 90000524 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Mar 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Oct 2025 Announced visit nothing cited
Sep 2025 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jul 2025 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jul 2025 Unannounced visit 1 finding

Unannounced visit · July 2, 2025

Children were not adequately supervised at all times. A child was able to open the door to their classroom, leave the classroom, enter the lobby area where she was for approximately two (2) minutes at which she returned the child to the classroom. The teachers were unaware the child was not in the room.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 7/9/2025

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 90000524 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Jun 2025 Announced visit nothing cited
May 2025 Unannounced visit nothing cited
May 2025 Unannounced visit 1 finding

Unannounced visit · May 15, 2025

The EPR Plan did not include the date of the last revision of the plan. The EPR plan was reviewed by all staff but the review date was not indicated or updated.

Violation corrected during visit

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 90000524 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Oct 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Sep 2024 Unannounced visit 2 findings

Unannounced visit · September 9, 2024

Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. On 9/5/24 the menu for lunch reflected: whole grain mac cheese, sweet peas & carrots, seasonal fruit salad, milk. The "menu change" form for lunch reflected for lunch: sunbutter wraps, peaches, peas and corn. While monitoring daily reports for lunch on 9/5/24, a childs meal reflected: applesauce, peaches and whole grain rice.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 9/23/2024

Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The meal I monitored today was a snack that consisted of apple slices, pepperonis, water, with cheese sticks as a vegetarian option. The original menu reflected the following for snack: whole grain cheddar crackers, fresh cucumber wheels, water. The menu change form was blank for todays snack, therefore the meal served was not posted.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 9/23/2024

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 90000524 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

May 2024 Unannounced visit 4 findings

Unannounced visit · May 21, 2024

Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. An infant in room three (3) there was a bottle not dated.

Violation corrected during visit

All vehicles used to transport children were not free of hazards. Vehicles. The mini-bus with the license plate ending in 9948 tire tread was less than 2/3 of an inch. The tire was on the front passenger side of the mini-bus.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/28/2024

Staff did not provide assistance to each child to ensure good hygiene. In room number ten (10) there was a teacher who was having a conversation with a child who was practicing unsanitary hygiene, and when this was pointed out, she did assist the child with hand-washing.

Violation corrected during visit

Medication authorization, giving the caregiver standing authorization did not meet the specifications in rule. There was an over the counter cream permission slip which needed a date correction. There was also an over the counter cream permission slips in rooms eight (8) and eleven (11) that did not have a current non-expired permission slips.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/28/2024

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 90000524 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Aug 2023 Unannounced visit nothing cited DCDEE facility lookup

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.

Openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies aren’t on this page.

Details

(704) 256-3304

Address
1425 S Providence Rd
License
90000524, active
Quality program
Four Star License
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.

Run The Learning Experience? Correct or add anything here, free.

Add what is missing
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 North Carolina DCDEE’s published reports, last checked October 10, 2026.

Details

  • Phone, Address, License, Quality program — Checked July 2026 ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. To check it, open ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch, enter licence 90000524 under License Number, and open the result.
  • Who runs it — Checked September 2026 ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. To check it, open ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch, enter licence 90000524 under License Number, open the result and expand Owner Information: the licensee is listed as Primary Owner.
  • Chain — Checked October 2026 thelearningexperience.com
  • 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 Charlotte-area’s 591 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 163 to 528 children. Small is 11 to 50; medium is 51 to 162.