Reviews

On 08 June a group of children hit my 7 year old (autistic) grandson in the head, knocking him to the floor and then kicked and laughed at him. The only disciplinary action taken was for the irresponsible supervising adult to say "stop". The director, a Ms. J******, said she would do an investigation. A week later and still no word. It should not take that long to investigate as she knows all the parties involved. This establishment has failed to provide not only an apology for the lack of adequate child supervision, but any kind of decent customer service. It is an atmosphere where bullying is acceptable behavior.

The YMCA is deeply saddened when a child’s experience is anything other than the safe, fun-filled, creative, educational experience that we strive to offer every participant. Our childcare director met with the camper’s father the day after the incident and spoke again with the father this morning. We’re grateful for the family’s involvement and are most hopeful that their son will accept a complimentary participation in a future activity. Bullying is an unacceptable behavior, and the YMCA takes very seriously its role in stopping it. We’re fully committed to providing a safe environment to every person and most importantly the children who are entrusted to our care. We have a series of measures in place to keep kids safe. All of our summer camp staff are selected based on their experience with children, their personal character, their enthusiasm, and their commitment to promoting the Y’s mission of putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Every camp counselor undergoes the following: • Criminal history background checks • Sex offender registry checks • Reference checks • Staff interviews utilizing behavioral-based questions. In addition, every camp counselor receives extensive, comprehensive in-person training, as well as completes the following safety coursework: • Child Abuse Prevention – focuses on the warning signs of sexual abuse and preventative steps. • Preventing Bullying – focuses on warning signs of bullying and how to prevent it. • Safety Series – focuses on safe practices for transportation, recreation, etc. • Social Media Safety – focuses on the risks and best practices of using social media and other forms of electronic communication. • Basics of Youth Behavior Management – focuses on teaching appropriate behaviors and eliminating negative behaviors. • Preventing Sexual Activity Between Young Children – focuses on how to identify problematic behaviors and how to prevent them from occurring. • Keeping Day Camp Safe – focuses on where and when abuse is most likely to happen in a Day Camp setting and the steps to take to keep kids at day camp safe. • Keeping the Y Safe – focuses on where and when abuse is most likely to occur, and the specific steps counselors can take to keep children safe. A safe environment for children combined with quality programming is part of the YMCA’s focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.