Fox Valley Family YMCA 3875 Eldamain Road, Plano, IL 60545

"This is specifically for their SAFE program- Our experience was, unfortunately, not at all what we were expecting for a program with such title and powerful mission statement. To keep this brief and to the point, the program was understaffed, the staff needed ongoing training opportunities to adequately engage a large number of children, the program lacked meaningful procedures for conflict resolution between children and restorative justice practices. The way our issues were handled by the director is in no way a reflection of their "3 key areas" listed on their website."

"Great place to get a good workout and build lifelong friendships. Something for everyone; all levels welcome. Started coming with my daughter when she was 13 and it has become a part of my life 20 years later."

""Best Summer Camp Ever" needs to be renamed to "Most Tumulteous Summer Camp Ever"--- immediately. A little background, in previous years before we had used another summer camp but my child decided to give the Y a try this summer since their best friend was signing up for the 1st time. We were initially excited. It seemed like it would be fun. Unfortunately, there was only 1 review on here and it was SO negative we figured it couldn't possibly be as bad as that review made it out to be. The first couple wks were ok. Things started unraveling very quickly thereafter. I'd ask my child how things were going and I could sense that something was off but I didn't know what it was because the feedback was usually vague. By the 4th week of camp, sitting at the breakfast table and I hear, "Mom, please don't make me go back there....EVER!" I knew Operation Plan B had to go into action. I registered my child to return to the previous camp (Plan B) and slowly began to hear details emerge. The Camp Director indicated that she was aware that there were several stinkers in my child's group but I had no idea the extent of the problem....there were 8 boys who would intimidate and physically attack themselves and the other kids who weren't part of the group. My child had their belongings chucked across the asphalt lot by one kid. They'd approach my child, poke in the chest and say, "let's fight" on a daily basis. They very commonly used derogatory language: "shut up," "you suck, " "screw you," etc. The boys were rude and obnoxious towards the counselors, as well. There was literally this bully club happening and it would occur right out in the open. Apparently one of the favorite activities the boys liked to do was to go up and b*tch slap when the counselors had their backs turned for a moment or weren't looking in their direction. Ironically, my child's friend was also pulled from summer camp at the same time due to the bullying problem. Those parents didn't know we were pulling out and vice versa. When you send your child to camp you never expect this sort of thing. My child's friend's parents reported that their child would get upset every Sunday PM just knowing that they had to go to camp Monday AM. It wouldn't surprise me to hear other families pulled out, too. Here is my suggestion to other parents: 1) If you have a decent child, like mine, consider other alternative camps. 2) If you register your child, have a Plan B ready in the back of your mind. Remember, the counselors are teens that are not always in-tune and the Director is responsible for around 150 kids and about 40 staff members plus meetings she has to attend to. Next, for parents who have behavior disordered kids (or are prone to being bullies) I do feel sorry for you. I'm sure your kiddo is the same when they're with you, too. Its gotta be exhausting having an unbalanced child. Please figure out what you can do to get your kid the help they need to control themselves....maybe counseling/social work would be a place to start. As far as the Y, I know you want to provide a good quality camp at a cheap price. You are certainly falling short of your goal. I understand you're limited in hiring cheap summer labor (teens) and your Director has been there forever, but all it takes is one lawsuit and you'll thank me later. Better overall camp management, counselors who are really paying closer attention at ALL times and the most upper level tier Y mgmt who are managing the summer camp management would be a great start."

"Stay away from the Y as they are no longer running the place according to the values of the YMCA. The new exec leadership is only interested in personal gain and getting your fees. They don’t care about you or your kids or their safety or the community and family that we have known for the past 6 yeaqrs Since being a member, I’ve been an avid supporter of the Y and have had a family membership for probably over a decade. I’ve taken many of the classes and my kids have spent time and in preschool, karate, swimming, running camps and all three of my daughters have spent time in the gymnastics program at FVYMCA. For over a decade, my teen age twins having been attending the gymnastics program and have been members of the competitive team for 6 years. Unfortunately this week, the Y made the decision to let go the gymnastics director who has been there our entire tenure and who is the teams coach, and did so with less than 2 months before national competition. To say this is difficult and devastating to the 20 or more team gymnasts and coaches is an understatement. What’s even more concerning is that our experienced and respected director was replaced with someone younger, with less experience who is not certified to coach as of her own admission, and who has not ever run a program and has not even been a gymnastics coach in the last 5 years. Additionally, our director was given no reason and no notice that there was an opportunity for improvement and the replacement could not be bothered to even complete the re-certification after being hired prior to meeting with the parents. She is also not qualified to coach the highest level gymnasts, so the Y does not care about the safety of the kids. As parents and kids, who have been extremely disappointed, we’ve been told we should be ashamed that we aren’t working to get all the other coaches who quit back to sustain the program. When someone advised that their child would not continue with the team, the room was told, well that’s your choice, with no understanding how they are making us choose our children’s safety in a difficult sport. Stay away from the Y as they are no longer running the place according to the values of the YMCA. They don’t care about you or your kids. They advised us that the new direction was to give us better communication, but they have already missed the communication that was supposed to be sent on 5/9, that had been committed to in a meeting on 5/8."

"The Plano Y is exceptional. The group workout classes are perfect. The instructors are all really nice and you can tell they enjoy what they do. And the kid zone is on it. I always feel confident leaving my girls, knowing they are going to have fun while I work out"