Seattle · Licensed center
The Mermaids Lagoon
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- Large center, licensed for 200 children.
- Run by a for-profit business.
- Ages on the license: 1 month to 6 years.
What the state has found
Someone reported concerns to the state, and it found all 4 valid, most recently in June 2026. The state also cited rules at all 5 of its licensing inspections since February 2024.
Of the 63 Seattle-area centers with 5 licensing inspections, 24% had rules cited at all 5, as this center did.
Complaints the state found valid
Someone reported a concern. The state investigated and found reasonable cause to believe a licensing rule was broken.
“Duty to protect children and report incidents to the department within 24 hours of having knowledge of the concern or injury. A child experienced a mark on their body that was confirmed to be a chemical or heat burn by a physician.”
The state’s description of the complaint
“Center Director did not report to the department within 24 hours of having knoweldge about the injury. This finding is valid.”
WAC 110-300-0475(2)
“Self-report, staff left child on playground unsupervised and alone”
WAC 110-300-0345(5)(c)
Of the 215 Seattle-area centers licensed for 115 to 323 children, 105 (49%) have no valid complaint in the last three years; 23 (11%) have four or more, as this center does.
Licensing inspections
Jul 8, 20264 citations
“Licensor observed staff that do not have food handlers permit.”
WAC 110-300-0106(12)
“Licensor observed plastic bags accessible to children.”
WAC 110-300-0165(2)(d)
“Licensor observed staff with expired safe sleep training.”
WAC 110-300-0106(8)
“Licensor observed staff that do not have TB.”
WAC 110-300-0105(3)
Jul 23, 20254 citations
“One child with an egg allergy and one child with a peanut/pistachio allergy, in their written health plans, no food substitutions were listed.”
WAC 110-300-0186(1)
“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.”
WAC 110-300-0260(2)(a)(b)
“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.”
WAC 110-300-0197(4)
“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.”
WAC 110-300-0145(8)
Feb 25, 20254 citations
“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.”
WAC 110-300-0165(2)(a)
“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.”
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i)
“The cleaning supplies are accessible to children in two of the classroom.”
WAC 110-300-0260(1)(a)
“The following staff do not have safe sleep documented in Merit: M.B., L.R., C.G., T.B. and J.W.”
WAC 110-300-0106(8)
Mar 1, 20241 citation
“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.”
WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c)
Feb 22, 20242 citations
“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.”
WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i)
“2 exits upstairs observed partially blocked in the hallway with equipment/furniture and with large boxes/food order supply items.”
WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c)
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Washington DCYF
- Last visit
- July 8, 2026
- On file
- 5 visits since February 2024 — all of them cited findings · 4 complaint investigations
- Most serious
- Serious —
Licensor observed staff that do not have food handlers permit.
· 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
WAC 110-300-0106(8) · Short Term
Licensor observed staff with expired safe sleep training.
WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious
Licensor observed staff that do not have food handlers permit.
WAC 110-300-0165(2)(d) · Serious
Licensor observed plastic bags accessible to children.
Mar 2026 Complaint 1 valid issue
Complaint · Received March 15, 2026 · Resolved June 21, 2026
“Duty to protect children and report incidents to the department within 24 hours of having knowledge of the concern or injury. A child experienced a mark on their body that was confirmed to be a chemical or heat burn by a physician.”
The state’s description of the complaint
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.
Jul 2025 Complaint 2 valid issues
Complaint · Received 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.
WAC 110-300-0345(5)(c) · Serious
Self-report, staff left child on playground unsupervised and alone
Jul 2025 Licensing visit 4 findings
Licensing visit · July 23, 2025
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.
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.
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.
Feb 2025 Licensing visit 4 findings
Licensing visit · February 25, 2025
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.
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.
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.
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.
Feb 2025 Complaint 2 valid issues
Complaint · Received February 7, 2025 · Resolved May 29, 2025
Apr 2024 Complaint 1 valid issue
Complaint · Received April 29, 2024 · Resolved August 26, 2024
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.
Feb 2024 Licensing visit 2 findings
Licensing visit · February 22, 2024
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.
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, Working Connections subsidy, cost, teaching approach, ratios and staff, and sick and biting policies aren’t on this page.
A day here
- Hours
- 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, 5 days a week
- Updates for parents
- My Bright Day mobile app with photos and real-time updates
Details
- Address
- 2401 Utah Ave S
- License
- PL-17217, active
- Quality program
- Early Achievers Enrolled
- Ages they serve
- 1 month - 6 years
Nearby
All in ZIP 98134Run The Mermaids Lagoon? Correct or add anything here, free.
Add what is missingSources 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 October 10, 2026.
A day here
- Updates for parents, Hours — Checked September 2026 child-care-preschool.brighthorizons.com
Details
- Phone, Ages on the license — Checked September 2026 findchildcarewa.org
- Website — Checked July 2026 child-care-preschool.brighthorizons.com
- Address, License — Checked June 2026 data.wa.gov
- Quality program — Checked April 2026 data.wa.gov
- Ages they serve — Checked September 2026 child-care-preschool.brighthorizons.com
- Who runs it — Checked September 2026 data.seattle.gov
Large means the biggest quarter of Seattle-area’s 859 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 115 to 323 children. Small is 6 to 40; medium is 41 to 114.
The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.