Newman YMCA,

472 Taunton Avenue, Seekonk, MA 02771

"Trust me this place is awful. There is no work out room to speak of. It’s always packed with toddlers in tiaras and their annoying Dance Moms, who use the gym and former workout room taking some sort of dance classes. There aren’t enough swim instructors to keep the pool operating for classes. It’s a joke trying to register for a swim class. Only one person on the front desk is nice. The other staff stand around in the lobby and rarely interact or help with the members needs. One older guy just never stops talking at all. I’ve never seen him do anything but gab. The membership price keeps going up while the services diminish. It’s over $120 a month for a family membership. Look elsewhere for something better, less expensive and without all the negativity the staff thrives on."

"I used to take my daughter to Newman YMCA for swimming, and a couple of years ago, it was an excellent place for kids to learn swimming. However, under the management of Rachel B, the swimming coordinator, the program has taken a negative turn. Communications from Rachel has always been poor, classes have been canceled without notifications, and my daughter lost two classes without any make-up options. Despite my attempts to discuss the issue with Rachel in person at Newman YMCA, she was never available, and I was informed that she mostly works from home. Even when I tried contacting her via email, there was no response. Also, due to a shortage of swimming instructors, my child's class hours kept changing every week. Despite the friendly front desk staff, the swimming program appears to be poorly managed. I would advise against sending your child to Newman YMCA and find an alternate place for swim lessons instead. Thank you"

"I would leave 0 stars if it let me. Last year we had an issue with a staff member for the before and after school program for my oldest child. She made rude comments to my child and in front of her. Apparently this lady later left after I made a complaint. I was fine, I kept my kid in the Y program. NOW, this school year I get contacted by the Department of Children and Youth Services. Why? Because a staff member claimed my child was going in every single day smelling of feces and wearing dirty/the same clothes every day. Instead of contacting me first, they ran to DCYF. The case worker with DCYF came, we talked, she showed me the report which stated "we are not going to speak to mom about this situation, we have to report it." Whether it be their protocol, I know where I work, with children, we contact the family first. All in all, I'll be looking into other childcare. I have a neighbor who went through similar a few years ago. They contacted DCYF because they believed her son was gay... when he was 6."

"Newman YMCA used to be a great family center where the kids could play and the parents could workout. The recent remodeling at the Newman YMCA left us with an incredibly small gym, smaller than most high school gyms, with about half the equipment that was originally in place, with dance studios replacing the once large area since the YMCA no longer wishes to house dance classes in an external studio. Kids care is available only 3 days a week for 4 hours a day with no evening hours. Unfortunately this will be bringing my family to a different YMCA with facilities that support all of us. Positives? The staff are very kind and it’s a clean facility."