YMCA

!!BE WARNED! This morning 8am while I was inside working out at the round rock location on North Mays someone vandalized my vehicle. They do not have outside cameras, Of course I realize it is not YMCA’s responsibility to have Cameras however doesn’t leave you with the feeling of being very safe or that your property is safe. I will think twice before returning.

* * AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM * *
Our son has been in the afterschool program at Herrington Elementary going on 2 years. The staff at this location is outstanding. I make a point of speaking when I arrive, and I ensure my son speaks up if he feels a certain way. Saying this, no location is absent of mean kids. The director and staff is great at keeping me informed of how my son’s day went. He did have a issue with a child, but the staff has resolved it. (I verified this with staff and while talking to my son). He requests that I not even pick him up early because he wants to hang with the staff!
* * GYM MEMBERSHIP* *
We’ve had a membership for over a year, and we will soon cancel as we work all day and only have time to work out (while we’re at work) or late at night. The gym closing at 9 pm and opening at 5 am (first class 530) is not convenient to our family. We kept the membership to receive a discount off the afterschool program, but its not worth it. Our son did love the kids club, and he always requested to go.

My daughter is in 1^st grade and attended the YMCA after care program through her school up until Oct 26^th, 2015. We removed her asap because of things that happened. One was the fact that they could not get a consistent counselor for months and then when they did get one, she was mean and cold and my daughter was frightened of her. She never once said hi to me. She seemed very miserable when i picked her up everyday (the counselor that is). My daughter cried when we got home everyday. My child was getting punched, kicked, and hurt in the beginning of attending the YMCA. Then 2 days last week she had to pee and she was told no it is not your bathroom time so she couldn’t hold it anymore and urinated on herself. No one knew because my daughter was scared to death to tell her counselor for fear of being in trouble. but she sat in her own urine for 2 hours. When i approached the director, she was defensive about it. NO need to be defensive about that. When a child asks to use the bathroom, you let them. End of story. I hopefully will never ever have to use them again.

Beginner Yoga died out and was unAvailable last year here. I am so glad they brought it back it’s a very peaceful hour and 15 minutes twice a week helping my balance and my spiritual well-​being.
The teachers are of exceptionally high caliber. They each have more than 10 years experience in their practice and are very encouraging for those of us that are beginners to take it at our own pace.
I think it could be on of the best things I’ve done for myself!

YMCA of Greater Williamson County, about the Y’s Program.
The YMCA charges the least of any aftercare program we could find. It was convenient, i.e. they operated out of the gym in our child’s school. The had «Trained» Counselors who supervised our children. However, truth be told «Caveat emptor». Read On.
At the end of the school day our Kindergarten child (we’ll call «K») would be led to the schools Gym with about 100 other students (at least) from various grades. For these 100+ kids there was an average of 3 «counselors» there to provide a safe, educational, enriched and enjoyable experience while their parents worked. The «GYM» was «richly» furnished with about a dozen tables, separated around for about 6 groups and their backpacks. A small closet contained the YMCA’s educational and fun supplies/​equipment. The supplies/​equipment was paper, pens, glue some art supplies, etc.
The Y will work with you on payment! It’s the least expensive program around and the price includes the 3 «Counselors Supervision» for 100+ kids, Food (supplied by the school) and Play supplies. They will even offer several venues for payment; however, You must pay for 1 and a half months in advance. The recommend automatic payment which you allow them to turn off. Think about that and Read On…
I’m turning 55 shortly and my son soon to be 6, entered Kindergarten at Union Hill Elementary this year. On a budget, we tried to find a great aftercare program for «K» that we could afford and was convenient for him without much bussing extra. Union Hill’s Website recommended the YMCA so we checked out the YMCA’s website
. So we signed our son up, it seemed a great deal. However, what we found was this.
100+ kids herded like cattle into a Gym until it was packed. There was only a few Teenagers there supervising them, usually about 3. The Teenagers were the Trained Counselors. There were Children running amuck about the area and the 2 – 4 counselors couldn’t find students parents were looking for. Trying to find your child’s backpack is like finding a needle in a hay stack since each group are allowed to just toss them in a huge pile on a designated table, Floor, stairs, stage floor (there’s a stage in the gym).
Once inside the gym and at their tables the kids are told what project they are to all (26+ of them) are to work on and then the counselors walk away and start texting… Now here’s my story…
My son, K, is very creative, energetic and needs some down time. He does have some special needs, although not ADD or ADHD, just a normal child with extraverted behavior. Within the first days the Teenage Counselors called me and told me that K was disruptive, that all of a sudden he would just jump up from one side of the gym and lurch out and strike a child from the opposite of the gym. Now if you are intelligent you realize that the gym is very large, that’s a huge distance to travel, especially for a Kindergartener and No One could Stop him. I found this hard to believe, especially since he’s been in day care, pre care for most of his little life. After the 3^rd time they called me in and told me how the kids K went after promised that they did nothing to provoke K, I asked who these kids were and sure enough, they were other classmates who entice K and make fun of him because he can be sillier the other students and can easily get caught up in their teasing. They tease K, call him names (I’ve witnessed this and had to intervene) and when I’m not there or K’s not supervised, he protects himself and acts out, spitting, pushing, shoving, etc. The kids say they did nothing and the Teenage Counselors don’t listen to K or offer support. In fact, the Teenage «Regional Counselor» Told Kyle to his face and in front of me and his classmates that he was a «bully» and that I had to except that he was a bully (this was 3 weeks into the program and it was the first time she worked him, she is thin, puffy blond curly hair and about 18 years old at best). It’s very inappropriate to label a child anything, especially in front of him and his classmates!
This neglect, abuse and labeling continued. I tried everything, I even discussed with the «Counselors» a token reward program that worked. However, they didn’t have any chain of communication and they frequently switch «Counselors» new counselors were unaware of K’s active style and would panic and call me and say that K needs more attention then the other 26+ students and therefore a danger and a threat to others and must be suspended.
Finally, we had enough. K has been to a couple of day cares etc and no one every reported anything like this… I’ll keep this long story short. If you choose the YMCA Program at Union Hill this is what you get…
Teenager, untrained supervision
100+ kids in a gym at tables from 2:45 till when you pick them up (6ish?)
1 Teenager to every 40 kids
little supervision (hard so supervise when your texting in the middle of 100+