Lynch/Van Otterloo Ymca

Honestly, I wish I could give them 0 stars. The YMCA after-school program advertises itself as inclusive, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. As soon as a child needs a little more support, the staff start calling parents to pick them up early instead of actually trying to help or use appropriate strategies. My autistic son was having a difficult time adjusting, so I reached out to their “inclusion specialist” hoping for understanding and guidance. The very next day, the supervisor called me to pick him up because he was “running,” saying it wasn’t safe — yet they thought it was safe to release my son to someone not listed on his release form, without checking ID or even asking who they were. Thankfully, it was someone I trusted, but that was an extremely unsafe and unacceptable situation. When I spoke with the supervisor, it wasn’t just about that incident — it was about the ongoing pattern of them calling me almost every single day to pick my son up early. I explained that I work full-time and that these constant calls were putting my job at risk. I also tried to share what actually helps my son calm down and how to support him, since I work with children myself and understand behavior management. I even said that running is normal kid behavior — it’s part of being a child, especially after a long day at school. Instead of listening, the supervisor dismissed me and said, “Your input is not helpful” and that he “didn’t have time to talk.” I told him the staff need to do their jobs — because that’s what they were hired to do — and if they’re not passionate about helping and caring for children, maybe they’re in the wrong field. As I went to leave, he made a rude comment: “I hope you know he probably won’t be able to return to the program,” and walked away. To make matters worse, I’ve spoken with three other families who experienced the exact same thing. Their children were also removed from the YMCA for completely typical kid behavior. This shows a clear pattern — they are not inclusive, and they are not willing to work with children who need even the smallest bit of extra care or patience. On top of that, the YMCA does not notify EEC (the Department of Early Education and Care) when a child is being sent home early or is placed on what they call a “pause in care.” That means they continue getting paid for children who are not even attending the program — which is completely unethical and possibly a violation of EEC policy. My own child has been on a “pause in care” officially since October 1 (they didn't not accept my son for 3 days before this "pause in care") and I have yet to receive any update from the program. This program is the opposite of inclusive. It’s unsafe, unprofessional, and dishonest. Parents deserve better, and children — especially those with different needs — deserve patience, compassion, and staff who actually care.

I've been swimming at this pool for about 4 months. I am aware that children's swimming lessons start at 4 p.m., so I try to get there before 3:30 to get some lap swimming in. Today it was 3:20, I was just about to get in a lane, and one of the swimming instructors puts red cones on almost every lane. The lessons don't start until 4:00. So rude! They say it's open for lap swimming , but then they close it off 40 minutes before the lessons start. If this keeps happening, I will cancel my membership.

Being at your location today for the first time this year, I was very disappointed to find that there was no green-cone lane in the pool for public/open swim. The small pool was closed for swimming lessons, and the large pool was taken up with private lanes and more lessons. You have two pools and eight swim lanes, yet not even one was left available for open swim. That’s unreasonable. There should always be at least one lane designated for open swim at all times. The current setup makes no sense, and it feels unfair to members who come expecting regular access. This needs to be addressed and made a rule moving forward.

I love this Y! They have a huge variety of classes for everyone's access/fitness level and the instructors truly care about your experience and helping you meet your goals!

My child had an incredible summer on Children's Island with the Y Camp program. The staff were super communicative and supportive and helped transition my kid into a new environment with ease. He's excited to go back for many years to come!