Urban Mamas

We love the Y! My son has been going to the YMCA downtown (in the ODS building) since he was 12-months old. My post is a little off-topic as he is there for full-time daycare rather than the after school enrichment. But I just had to speak up for this amazing place. Like most mothers, I had a really, really hard time leaving him and going back to work. I cried a lot those first months - probably much more than my son. I literally almost quit my job I couldn't stand being away from him. But the program director at the Y not only made me feel comfortable calling to check on my son, but she encouraged it. So I'd call and they'd let me know what he was up to, and that helped a lot. All the worries I had about daycare - high staff turnover, not giving my son enough attention, that he'd develop, I don't know, badly or something - were totally not true. The staff all greet him by name when we walk in the door, the staff has been consistent, totally caring, they give me reports on how he's doing, they want to know how I'm doing, they actually WRITE DOWN every diaper change and what he ate and when he napped. Every day. It is amazing. He comes home with art projects, they go out for daily walks, sing songs, read books, and more. He has really thrived there. And the kids in his group have stayed the same because they more or less move up together as they age. So he knows people, has friends. He's always laughing and playing when I come to pick him up. He still cries sometimes when I drop him off in the morning, but by the time I've walked out of the building and peek back through the window, he's already playing. I also like that it is a diverse staff with different races and ages. And just in case you were wondering since it's the Y, they don't push any religious agenda. Any negatives? It is a bit hectic there sometimes. Though there's a "big room" area, there's no outdoor space. (They get outside for walks though.) Though they feed the kids a balanced diet, it is not organic and includes a lot of processed stuff. Otherwise we're totally happy with it. We pay about $930/month for 4 days a week (reasonable in the outrageous bubble that is the cost of childcare). They are open 7am-6pm. Two thumbs up.

Agreed. My daughter attended Y-Arts pre-school back in the day (she's a rising 6th grader, now!). Great, caring staff and facility. I've never met anyone who wasn't pleased.

We have our 5 and 6 year old at the Y-Arts and it's an amazing program. Our 5-year old was in the pre-school pregram last year and our 6-year-old was in the after school program. It's not a polished looking program, the kids work on messy art projects and they get to dig in the dirt out back and plow through puddles in the winter... but isn't that what kids SHOULD be doing???

I was impressed by the efforts that they went to with our older child. He had a rough start to the school year, and doesn't deal with change very well. They remained commited and have been flexible in keeping him in the classroom that works the best for him regardless of what "age group" that he moved into when he turned six. If you're looking for a program that works well with special needs children AND typical children... this is clearly your place. My daughter had a great time taking part in three sessions of drama classes on the weekends with her teacher whom she adores and was thrilled to get to see six days a week.

I can't speak for the other sites, but you can feel at ease leaving your kids at this place!