Imagination Learning Center

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!

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 :)

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.

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.

Kuks G. You are absolutely correct. I have posted cautioning parents against this place at least three times and after a few months all of my reviews have been deleted. The teacher turnover is sad. My son went there for about a month when he was one and came home with scratches on his chin every day. No one could tell me how they got there. The children are poorly supervised. The facility is small, dark and unclean. Stay away. I am a professional and I want the best for my child. I was sure to get my son out of there as soon as possible. The director was very nice but don’t be fooled. She has very little control over that facility and in my experience, was rarely there.

Note: the map used on Unilocal 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.

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.