I know that most of you are SAHM but for those who are not, like myself, I was wondering if any of you have had any experience with YMCA child-care system. My son is starting Kindergarten in the fall, which will end at 11:25 every day, and I'm considering enrolling him in the YMCA school-age childcare program for afterwards. They have bus service from kindergarten, includes a hot lunch and afternoon snack, swimming twice a week, including a lesson, field trips once a week, gym and games every day, arts & crafts, academic focus times. It sounds really nice but wondering if any moms have had first-hand experience with them and interested in your thoughts. Thanks.

By Andi on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 06:04 pm:

I use the Child Care at our Y while I am working out and I love it! I also see the older kids that are in daycare/after school care there and they look like they are having a blast. I'm sure all the YMCA's are not the same but I know ours is wonderful.

Why don't you call and talk to the person in charge of Child Care. Maybe stay there for an hour or two after lunch and see what the kids do. I'm sure they have an open door policy.

By Rayelle on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 09:55 pm:

I am considering the same thing!! Next year my ds will be in first grade and dd will be in all day K. I currently work part time but I would like to try college this fall, or working more hours. A big plus for me is my mother-in-law and sister-in-law work in the childcare. At ours the kids ride the bus from school and can choose between ice skating, swimming, gym, computers, homework, crafts etc. My kids love these activites which I wish we could do more often.I would definitely call them up. Ours lets you sit in and tour.

By Feona on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 06:02 am:

Go look at it. Some are great. Others are not.

By Dana on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 08:36 am:

We did the summer Y-care summer camp for DD before she started K and also the summer between K and 1st. It was a great transition from being a stay at home child and starting school. She learned lots of new things. She cried every time I dropped her off, but was begging to stay when I would pick her up. I left her in the program the entire day (but we didn't get there first thing in the AM). She went on field trips and swam. Got to know several kids and the adult y-care supervisors before school started and had a bunch of kids and adults saying "HI A!" as she walked the halls of her new school.

Now the following summer was a totally different story. She loved the swimming, but really didn't like the Y cause many of the older kids were mean....well, just wild, not mean. All the kids loved her. But she didn't like it much and she only did the first month of the program and spent the rest of the summer at home. But even that worked out great. She became a full time swimmer and jumping of the board without me having to pay for lessons. Swimming is a big plus living in florida.

Summer program is totally different than afterschool program. You don't need to start on the first day. Go and watch it a few days and then decide. They also have a financial program if affording the full tuition is a problem. It's kind of a sliding scale thing.

By Tklinreston on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 01:27 pm:

Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts. As all of you have suggested, the best way for me to feel secure about the place, is to observe it first-hand, especially the teachers. Rayelle -- you are so lucky to have your mom and sister-in-law work at the facility. Best of luck to you as well.

By Mommmie on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 01:55 pm:

Our summer Y program has a pretty big adults to kids ratio. And the "adults" are often barely adults. College kids. I think it's okay if you have an older compliant kid who isn't going to run off on a field trip or something. They do cool things. The kids have a reputation of being wild, but it's a large group of kids and it may just be the nature of the beast. Kids say it sounds more fun than it actually is.

I'm in the market for a summer program for the month of June for my son. He has summer school the month of July and goes away to camp in August and then school starts Aug. 15, so June is my problem month. Well, he gets out of school May 19, but the possibility a finding a summer program that starts the last week of May is slim.

By Hlgmom on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 08:49 pm:

I worked at a YMCA after school program before and my biggest word of caution would be that often their employees are young and inexperienced. I was the oldest there and the only one with a child! They were loving- but I would not have left my dd there without me! Just check out the ages and observe a few times as staff tends to rotate!