Update: After my original review, the owner contacted me, canceled all of my daughter's remaining…read morecamps, and refunded the unused camp fees. I appreciate that they processed the refund. However, the owner also asked me to remove my reviews because the refund had been issued.
I respectfully declined. My goal was never to obtain a refund. A refund was simply the appropriate outcome for services that would no longer be provided. My goal has always been to make other families aware of my factual experience so they can make their own informed decision.
Throughout our correspondence, the owner confirmed that my mother was asked to leave the building. To me, that is the heart of the issue. Once an elderly grandmother and a young child are asked to leave by someone in authority, they are naturally going to leave.
The better response would have been to first ask simple questions such as, "Is your ride on the way?" or "Can we help while you wait?" The owner also acknowledged that Sofia told staff "Papa Carlos was on his way to pick them up," meaning they knew transportation had not yet arrived. Rather than taking a moment to understand the situation and find a safe solution, the decision was made to ask them to leave.
The owner also stated that the wording of the camp policy on the website will be clarified, which I believe acknowledges that it was not as clear as it should have been.
What disappointed me most was not the policy itself, but the lack of empathy afterward. A simple acknowledgment that this was a misunderstanding and an apology for the distress it caused my family would likely have resolved this very differently. Instead, every response focused on defending and justifying the actions taken.
My review reflects my family's honest experience. I have updated it to include that the unused camp fees were refunded, but my opinion of how this situation was handled has not changed. I believe other parents deserve to know about my experience and decide for themselves.
Original review: I am extremely disappointed with how ArtWorks Academy handled what should have been a simple conversation.
This was my daughter's second (non-consecutive) year attending camp, and she was already in her third week this summer. My parents help us with pickup because both of my children finish camp at the same time in different locations. My mother waits with my daughter until my father picks up my son and then comes to get her. This arrangement had never been questioned before.
Today, during an Extreme Heat Warning in Oklahoma, my elderly mother and my young daughter were told they could not remain in the air-conditioned lobby while waiting a short time for my father to arrive.
I later received an email stating that parents and guardians are not permitted to sit in the lobby for any part of camp. However, after reviewing ArtWorks Academy's own website, I found their published policy states:
"Parents and siblings are asked to wait in our lobby... You are welcome to bring your laptop and take advantage of the wireless internet connection at our facility."
I also searched every email I have received and could not find the "Sunday email" that was referenced.
My concern is not simply about a policy. If procedures had changed, a simple phone call or conversation would have resolved the situation. Instead, during dangerous heat conditions, my family was told they could not remain inside despite the academy's own published policy stating parents are asked to wait in the lobby.
That demonstrated a lack of communication, consistency, and judgment. As a parent, those qualities are essential when deciding who to trust with your child.
As a result of this experience, I immediately withdrew my daughter from all remaining camps. I will never send my child back to ArtWorks Academy, nor can I recommend this program to other families. Based on how this situation was handled, I no longer have confidence that my child would be in an environment where sound judgment and her well-being are prioritized.
