1-Star Review -- YMCA Early Learning Center, University Place
My family used the YMCA childcare program for approximately three years, and unfortunately, my overall experience has left me extremely disappointed.
I want to start by saying that the toddler classrooms were generally great. There were staff members who were wonderful with the children, caring, attentive, and clearly invested in their well-being. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about every part of the center.
My experience with the infant room was particularly disappointing. The older woman working in the infant room did not seem to be a good fit for my child. My child cried for extended periods while in her care, and I ultimately had serious concerns about the quality of care being provided. For me, an infant spending significant portions of their time crying should be something the center takes seriously.
I also have significant concerns regarding the director and the YMCA's handling of a situation involving my family.
During the time my child attended the center, the director became personally involved with my husband. From my perspective as a parent, this created a serious conflict of trust because this was not simply an individual who worked somewhere my family happened to visit. She was the director of the childcare center responsible for overseeing the environment where my child was being cared for.
I became aware of instances in which she allegedly used work time/PTO to meet with my husband nearby and maintained communications with him while she was working. Along with unnecessary visits to my child's room while my child was in attendance. I was also extremely troubled by conversations involving serious concerns about conduct occurring within the center.
For example, I was made aware of a situation involving a staff member allegedly spraying children in the toddler room with a water bottle when the staff member did not like what the children were doing. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding that particular incident, concerns involving how children are treated should be handled seriously and professionally by management.
I brought my concerns to the YMCA district management. What was especially disappointing was being told that the director had not violated YMCA policy simply because of the nature of her personal relationship with my husband.
That response completely missed the issue for me.
My concern was not simply someone's private relationship. My concern was that a person in a position of authority at my child's childcare center was simultaneously involved in a personal relationship with another parent whose child attended the center. That creates an enormous trust and professional-boundary issue from a parent's perspective.
As a parent, I expect childcare administrators to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and to put the children and families they serve first.
I also believe the fact that employees are compensated by the organization makes the use of work time for personal matters particularly concerning. Parents pay tuition to the center with the expectation that employees are using their working hours to perform their responsibilities and care for children--not conduct personal relationships.
What made the situation even more frustrating was feeling that information was withheld from me while I was still relying on this facility to care for my child. I ultimately had to find alternative childcare, which was not easy and created additional problems for my family.
I want to be fair: a few good people worked at this YMCA, and some of the toddler-room staff were genuinely wonderful. However, the turnover rate was alarming. My criticism is primarily about the infant-room experience, management, professional boundaries, and how my concerns were handled at the administrative level.
When parents leave their children at a childcare center, they are placing an enormous amount of trust in the organization. That trust extends beyond whether someone can change a diaper or supervise a classroom. Parents should be able to trust the leadership, judgment, professionalism, and integrity of the people running the center.
Unfortunately, my experience caused me to lose that trust.
I would not recommend this center based on my overall experience. Parents deserve childcare where their children's well-being and safety are unquestionably the priority. read more
