There aren't enough good things I can say about Imagination Learning Center. We have been with the Chantilly center for more than a year now, and are so happy we chose this wonderful place. We've experienced every classroom from the baby room through the 5-year old room. The Director and Assistant Director are extremely understanding and compassionate. They really understand the challenges of working parents and they continuously strive to make parents' lives easier. The teachers are such loving people. They care very deeply about the children's growth and happiness. Every morning, at least three teachers hug my children when we arrive! Some of the teachers have been with the center for 10 or even 20 years. The classrooms are clean, vibrant and engaging. I love the constant updates I receive through the app. When my youngest was a baby, I could see when and how much she ate and slept. And now, I can see all of the books they're reading, the fun activities and trips to the playground. My children come home each day with stories of the art projects they completed, the lessons they learned, and the friends they are making. There are field trips, holiday parities, art and crafts, magicians, snow cone trucks, story time, etc. etc. 5 stars all around!! read more

This school is pretty amazing! I originally came here another center with my oldest child due to pretty extreme lack of care. The director's (Lisa) genuine concern for my child's well-being and warmth in how she took care of us, before we even officially signed up for the school, is what got us to join. The teachers, learning experiences my child had, flexibility in schedule, and price got us to stay. For the teachers, some have been at the centers going on double digits now, most of the teachers that took care of my son, who grew out of the school, are now taking care of my daughter. My wife has summers off so she has some more time to be with the kids. We wanted to switch to just two days a week and the answer was "Sure not a problem"! I can see by interacting with my kids that they are most certainly learning while they are there, the school is following a curriculum that works. Last but not least, price. It was no more expensive when I switched into Imagination Learning Center (ILC) from the other daycare even though they offered way more. I don't make a boat load of money and could afford 2 kids to go there. The last two things I which I feel are important to say are, 1) They use Brightwheel to send pictures of your child and communications. Its really great that I can have multiple updates a day on how my child is doing. 2) It's a non-profit with a parent run board of directors. The parents actually do have a voice at ILC which to me is amazing and unlike any other center I looked into while I was searching. TL:DR - ILC is a great place with caring teachers and directors who have been there for years, flexible scheduling, and a reasonable price. I would recommend ILC for anyone who needs childcare. read more

We love ILC! We have two kids there and we have been with every teacher and every class. The care that each teacher puts into each child does not compare to anywhere else we have seen! The retention ratio is amazing which speaks volumes! All of the kids learn through fun and engaging activities based on their age. As a parent, the most important things are what your child learns, how they feel about their day and how they are treated when you are not there - all the positive reasons we highly recommend ILC to our family and friends!!! read more

We've been part of the ILC family for over 5 years. From the low teacher turnover to the bright and happy facilities to the carefully planned curriculum, ILC has never failed to impressed. I am so thankful that I put my trust in this staff and this community of families and educators. I have recommended this center to both family and friends. Honestly, the best there is!! read more

My oldest attended ILC for two years and loved the Panda, Zebra and Koala class for the the nurturing teachers! My oldest loved the fun/play base environment. My two year old just started recently and is still adjusting, but I can see his mobile and vocabulary skills are improving each day! The teachers are all very patient and nurturing here. They are always open unless it is a major holiday, which is awesome for us working parents! Another plus, is that they are very flexible with our part time schedule. read more

You want a review? Today was the last day at ILC for my son and daughter. They've been the only day care we've known since we toured the place while weeks after learning we were expecting. We toured it based on the strong recommendations of people at work. We're leaving because a new job opportunity is taking me away from the Chantilly area. It was tough to leave the old job and the friends I'd made over eight years. But by far the tougher change was leaving ILC. The kids are unphased by the departure, but their parents are a mess. The staff have been confidants, colleagues, and coaches. They helped the kids, and they helped two new parents too. We've been impressed at the amount the kids have learned, and impressed at how they've progressed in everything from drinking from cups to language to potty training. When the blizzard hit DC a couple years ago, some parents did not get through to pick up children until late at night. Our daughter was an infant and our son a toddler. As the dad, I worried about how to drive the two of them over hazardous and congested roads for 16 miles when it took three hours to go the short distance to get to the center. My son would be able to manage, and the car would make the trip, but I worried about how I'd feed a four-month-old while navigating the hazards on the road. They stayed open all night long, shared food, watched the kids, and made makeshift beds to get folks through the night. We didn't leave until five in the morning and I never had to worry about their well being. We get lots of photos of daytime activities available in protected websites online, and frequent updates e-mailed to parents at night. When we announced we were leaving the teachers got choked up before we did. You know that they care by their actions, but it's touching to see how much they care as you say bye. Kudos to the Site One director Lisa, Sherry and Jennifer her assistants, and all of the faculty who have been such a huge part of our lives. The next place has a lot to live up to. read more

ILC daycare has been nothing short of a fantastic experience for myself and family. I have been taking my son here since he was 1 years old after switching from another daycare that was not the right fit for our family. After having a negative experience at the previous daycare I did more research this time to find a place that I would feel confident leaving my son while my husband and I were at work without the worry that he was not getting the proper care and love a child needs. I called and emailed a list of locations I had found online, and ILC happened to be the only one which answered the phone right away when I called early that morning. They were prompt, attentive, and got us in right away to view the facility. We were immediately greeted by Ms. Kara and Ms. Gina and after that I knew my son would be in good hands. The facility was bright and colorful, children all looked happy, and the thing I loved most above everything else was that the walls were glass so you could see what was going on at all times in the classrooms. After reading some of the horror stories online and what I have seen on the news about some of the top notch daycares getting bad press for what they were doing behind closed doors this was a breath of fresh air. I really loved the fact that the parent, staff and supervisors could see what was going on at all times. More added bonuses that I enjoy is that they keep journals of your child's progress each week. I very much look forward to getting those and reading them. Also they upload photo's every few weeks of your child learning and growing with their teachers and peers in the classroom. They have tons of activities, special guests, snow cone buses in the summer, themed days like pajama day, field trips...it's fantastic. Most importantly though I would like to thank all of the teachers that my son has worked with that is very high needs. I mean REALLY worked with him. In no special order... Ms. Gina Ms. Kara Ms. Rebecca Ms. Lacreshia Ms. Lenny Ms. Cuc Ms. Diana We originally were attending the facility in the Quest Diagnostics (Newbrook) building but due to them expanding their lab space they have now combined facilities in Chantilly to just the one on Albemarle road. They handled this transition well and kept all parents in the loop. We now have our youngest (started age 3 months) there as well and have fallen in love with the infant room just as much. Ms. Monica is fantastic. As you can see by the length of my review I have a lot of good things to say about ILC, and I know I am missing some things as well. But at the end of the day if you want your child going somewhere where there are people that are kind and compassionate working hard to get your child the education and FUN they need ILC is your place! read more

Note: the map used on Yelp is incorrect. Westfield's Play and Learn, Site 1 is located in the Albemarle Point Place Office Park near Target and Costco off of Old Lee Highway (south of 50 and west of 28). There are also two locations for Westfield's Play and Learn, this is a review of Site 1, which is located in a single story office building and not in the basement of an office building. Also, I do not work for the center. My only tie to the center is that my child has attended since she was 11 weeks and she is now 4 years old. read more

The teachers we experienced were wonderful. The staff is all very caring and wiling to go out of their way to help whenever possible. The problem we encountered was that the administration staff tend to micro-manage their (very capable) teachers. The teachers constantly seem on-edge, lest they do something that the admin staff might disapprove of. I wish admin would step back and let their staff do their jobs, so they could all enjoy their work more. The administrators' hearts are in the right places, but the execution is painful to watch. read more

Our number one goal in finding a daycare was to find a place that would become our village and help us raise our child. He could get a good education at many schools, but we wanted a special place that would offer him a true community and would teach social and emotional skills beyond the standard academic education. We also wanted a place where the teachers would take the time to really get to know him and love him. We were able to find all of these qualities in ILC, and more! So many of the teachers and staff have been at ILC a long time and have built amazing relationships with one another and extend that circle to the children and parents. Dropping him off at the center, there are so many people beyond his classroom teachers that say, "Hi" to him by name. We couldn't have made a better choice for our so and we are so grateful that we found ILC! read more

I just drove by and letting their sign encouraging everyone that " God will see us through!" Keep doing the Lords work thank you so much for being such a strong voice in These dark times! God bless you read more

Our experience at ILC has been great! Their curriculum is appropriate play-based learning which allows kids to be kids while learning. My favorite part about ILC is the space they give kids to form strong social bonds with each other. And food is included in the tuition! I highly recommend ILC! read more

I quite literally, couldn't love this place more. I put my little man in daycare at 5 months and was a complete and total mess...After 1.5 months of struggling with poor schedule handling, no sleep, no flexibility with our little man's age appropriate wake windows (NOT AT ILC), we decided to look for a new daycare and after receiving a few recommendations and doing a LOT of research of my own (yelp, google reviews & dept. of SS) we decided upon ILC and thank HEAVENS we did. Our little man LOVES this place and has truly grown so much in the 1.5 months since he has started! It's amazing to see him flourish and to see all the fun activities they have, even for the little infant room (playing with leaves, hand painting, playing with bagged pumpkin seeds). We couldn't be happier! The collaboration of the teachers (Miss Nithzia and Miss Maureen are INCREDIBLE) and the interest & support you receive from the board (Jennifer Asst. Director & Kara Director), we truly feel heard and supported! Could not rant and rave about this place more! Thank you SO much to the incredible team at ILC! :) read more

We love Imagination Learning Center. We've been here for about 3 years and have had such a great experience. The teachers are wonderful and have given us great advice on everything from potty training to socialization. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a loving place to send their children. read more

First of all it beats me how this school got licensed to operate in that dark tiny space they call a daycare. I visited this school and was shocked that anybody could leave their child in that tiny office basement and walk away with a clear conscience. The classrooms are so small that their cubbies are in the hallway. And the hallways are so narrow and dark it was unbelievable. You can imagine my shock, when I was told their gigabyte program (a computer program for toddlers which you pay extra for) was held in the hallway. I don't know how the previous person could leave such a review. I'm almost inclined to think it's someone who works there. But I'll try not to jump into conclusions. There was not wait list when I visited. In fact they sounded desperate for business and rightly so. Please keep away for this daycare. If you ask me, it shouldn't be operational in the first place. read more

As a nurse who works with babies I can honesty say that I was blown away by the kindness and professionalism of the staff at ILC. My husband and I pass more than 10 daycare centers on our way to ILC because the other places just don't compare. The staff has treated us like family since the day we toured when my daughter was 10 weeks old. They wanted to hold her and kiss her before they even knew her! I have felt very comfortable leaving my daughter in the care of these wonderful ladies. My daughter is 18 months old now and she is learning so much at her "school." She comes home everyday with a new word or trick, its amazing! I love the Brightwheel app. I can see pictures of her in real time, and I get updates on what she is learning, what she ate, how long she napped and even when she has a diaper change. I can't say enough about the amazing staff at ILC. Miss Kara and Miss Jenn are so knowledgable and understanding. They know how to put a crazy first time mom at ease! The teachers are some of the sweetest, most loving people I have ever met. Miss Nikki, Miss Nitzia, Miss Monica, Miss Lucy, Miss Ernie, Miss Cuc, Miss Jasmine, Miss Dianna, I can go on and on. Every staff member is just as nice as the next. If you're looking for someone to treat your child as if they were their own, you have found the right place. Thank you ILC! You all are the best! read more

This is an absolutely wonderful childcare center! Ms Deborah, Ms Rebecca, and Ms Lacreshia are the absolute BEST teachers! They genuinely care about each child and have helped so many children grow and learn! I couldn't recommend this center more! read more

As a teacher myself I want to say how much I enjoyed sending my son here. My husband and I spent months looking for daycare for our son and decided on ILC because of the sweet and caring staff. My son just loved Ms. Tammy and Ms. Blanca! They were so loving with him and the teacher to student ratio was the best I had seen in the area. I like how my son got to divide his time between two rooms and go outside twice. I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant about this place at first because the building isn't the most welcoming from the outside. I even checked out way pricier places after my first visit but after my son's trial day(s) I knew it was the right fit. The staff does a great job communicating with us about his day and always send home adorable projects. I'm sad that we're moving and hope I can find daycare with teachers as dedicated as this place. read more

ILC is great school with good teachers. They really give the children the right balance between playing and learning. They keep you updated with daily notes and weekly digests so you can see and read what your child does in school all day. My son loves Ms. Tarita, Ms. Tammy, and Ms. Jeet. I highly recommend ImagiNation Learning. read more

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE. I think the standard has gone down significantly since the last reviewer reviewed this day care. We had our son here for three weeks before we pulled him out. He was 13 months at the time. I have a couple of big gripes with the place. First, the turnover is incredible. Every day my husband would pick him and someone different was caring for him. The lead teacher in the Spider room (where he was) was not particularly warm. I can't remember seeing her speak directly to my son or pick him up. It was clearly a job for her - and one she did not enjoy. The other teacher was sweet but she was only 19 and had very little experience. The director of the center admitted to me that sometimes the cafeteria lady would tend to the children after 4:30pm who barely spoke English and had no formal training. The center is located amidst a bunch of offices so the nearest playground is in the middle of the parking lot by the dumpster. They take the children to the lot in wagons and mix the young toddlers with the twos. The playground equipment is clearly far too advanced for the children and they bring so many children out at once there is no way they can properly supervise. BUT - here is the kicker. My son came home with scratches on his face almost everyday that no one could explain. That was the deal breaker for me. He started acting less like himself and started to seem withdrawn. He cried horribly every day and never seemed to really grow to the place. I should have trusted my intuition and NEVER sent him there but thank god I got him out in time. Mom to Mom, don't take the chance. read more

Hello prospective ILC Parent(s)! This is a review I've been wanting to write for a long time, but it has been hard to find words to adequately describe such a wonderful place. Why now? Because I feel that every family embarking on a journey to find the right preschool for their child deserves the very best, which is what we have found with ILC. If this review even nudges one more parent to give ILC a try, it will have served its purpose. The moment we stepped into ILC, we knew we had found the right place for our daughter and from that day forward became a part of the larger ILC family. Our first impressions of the center is that it was bright, beautiful, creative and thoughtfully put together. The teachers we encountered were warm, friendly, knowledgable, attentive and caring. The directors we met and toured with were patient and attentive, answering each question we had completely and to our every satisfaction. While initial days anywhere new for a child (and parents) can be hard, the regular photos coupled with the caring and considerate communication from the teachers and directors, made the transition easy. On the rare occasion that our daughter has needed to reach out and just hear Mom or Dad's voice during the day on the phone, the ILC staff was there to make it happen. Through regular communication, we have been kept informed of what's going on in our child's day from play and events to learning activities (and more). Modes of engaging with parents and families have included (but not limited to) electronic communication (photos, email, etc), weekly newsletters, family information board and in-person conferences. The Family - ILC partnership and open lines of communication has been a wonderful component of our daily experience with the center. After being with ILC for a few months, we were so impressed that I volunteered to be on the parent run Board of Directors (BOD). The volunteer board is a fantastic opportunity for ILC parents to get involved in the school and get to know the other families and ILC staff better. I've personally enjoyed being on the Board of Directors a great deal and have been pleased to give back to place that gives our family so much. Should you want to learn a bit more about how ILC, is governed, there's a great deal of additional information available on the website. We've now been with ILC for 3+ years, with our daughter in her final year in the ILC Kindergarten program. While many of the reviews touch on a variety of fantastic aspects of ILC, there is limited mention of the Kindergarten as it is a relatively new program. As such, I wanted to give our daughter's experience this last year a shout out! The Kindergarten environment is warm and caring (like all of the other classrooms we've experienced at ILC) and is focused not only on retaining the "Explore, Experience and Engage" philosophy, but also increasing academic knowledge as well as learning important skills such as working together, time management, being polite, resolving problems and good citizenship in general. In addition to engaging with academic content that is presented in a creative and fun way, our Kindergartner is also treated to a small classroom student to teacher ratio, field trips and a myriad of special event activities that are hosted by the center. While I could go on about all of the other things our family loves about ILC (the annual celebration, special events, parent - teacher - child connections to name a few) this review has gone on longer than I intended and could certainly last many pages more. Give your family an opportunity to see what makes ILC so special by taking a tour and meeting the wonderful teachers and Directors that are there- you'll be so happy that you did :) read more

Our daughter has been enrolled at Imagination Learning Center in Chantilly for over two years. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the center and its staff. The teachers are wonderful and the staff (Ms. Kara and Ms. Jennifer) are great! My daughter is happy to be here and I am happy that she is there. She's engaged and learning and getting great care. I can only hope that every child gets to be at a place like this. We love ILC. read more

This child center surpassed all others that I toured in the area. The teachers love their jobs and it shows during the daily interaction between the kids and teachers. The curriculum is fantastic and engaging; my daughter continues the learning process at home by recalling the lessons/books/activities from the day. My daughter has been going to Center 2 since she was 10 weeks old. It is attached to the Quest Diagnostics Bldg and the smaller classroom environment is what we needed. Every classroom has multiple windows allowing natural light into the classroom keeping things bright and cheerful. When first looking for child care in the area, I toured many different centers that all, from a glance, seemed like great facilities, but in reality didn't compare to Westfields in both traditional care and education. Another bonus is that Westfields is a non-profit center so parents can be involved in making decisions regarding their child's early education and care. read more

I think this day care is amazing! My 2 1/2 year old son goes to Center 2, the one a previous rater called the "tiny office basement." The center is located at the bottom of an office development, that has security cameras all outside the building and offers extra "protection/security." The play ground is completely enclosed by brick walls, which I like because 1. you know your children cannot scale over a brick wall, posing any risks running into the street/parking lot, and 2. because other people cannot see your children. I personally do not like an exposed play ground where just anyone can look in at the children. You can only see the play ground and windows to the school if you access the staircase down to the entrance, allowing more privacy. My son only goes part time, and the school is very flexible in allowing make up days incase my son is sick or we are out of town. This was a huge plus for me, because most other day cares would not let me make up the time and if my child didn't go, then I would be out that money. Another amazing thing about the school, that shows just how above and beyond and personal they are is that every day the head teacher of my son's classroom calls me and tells me how his day is and how he's been. She was on the phone with me on his first day for 30mins giving me pointers on how to help him adjust, potty train him, printing out reading material for me, etc. The center takes photos of the children and provides a personal journal for each kid marking down their daily activities so you can keep as a momentum. The day care has monthly guest appearances like a magician, Santa, ect. Most day cares that I've been to require a supplies fee, this day care allows you the opportunity to volunteer some of your time to help the center (ie chaperon a field trip) instead of contributing financially. I like that because it gives me an opportunity to come into the center and be a part of activities my child is doing. Over all, I think this place is great and would recommend it to any and everyone. They also had the best prices in the Chantilly/Centreville area that I could find and are very flexible and work with the parents. In my opinion, if you're going to take anyone's review to heart, it should be from someone who's child actually attends the school, not from someone who just had a bad first impression from a walk through because they didn't like the way the place "aesthetically looked." The pro's they named were actually what I thought were strengths. Smaller class sizes for more individual one on one time with the children and the privacy and security of their "lower level business development" location. read more