Not Very Happy with the YMCA!

After Kolby turned three years old, he attended preschool classes at the YMCA just up the street from us in the fall and winter last year. He took a little class in a classroom setting and then went with his class across the hall to the gym for a class with little relay races and games. He loved his 'school.' He was so excited to take his backpack with his little snack every day, and to come home and show me the art project he had made.

A few months ago when we found out that our monthly YMCA membership was going to be increased, we thought about canceling our membership, but decided that the preschool program made it worth it to continue, even though it was more than we had originally budgeted. We have enjoyed taking the kids to swimming lessons and planned to sign Kolby up for a sports class this fall, but the main reason that we originally signed up for our YMCA membership was because of the 'free' preschool program (that did not cost any extra on top of our monthly membership fees). We were pleased with the preschool program last year, and after taking a break this summer we have been planning on signing Kolby up to start classes again in September. We were planning on signing him up to attend three mornings a week again like last year, and were thinking about signing him up for three classes this time -- one in a classroom setting, one in the gym, and another music and rhythm class. And Eli will turn three years old this January, so we were planning on signing him up to go to some classes with Kolby this winter.

So, we got the new Fall 2007 Program Guide the other day and started to look at the different preschool classes to decide which ones to register Kolby for. We were surprised to find a little note in the program that said, "Beginning with the Fall 2007 program session, there will be a $10 Member Registration Fee for all Youth Sports and Preschool Enrichment programs. . . . The fee will not be discounted and applies to each child/registration." When we saw that note, we were rather displeased to find out that we would have to pay this additional fee, and that we had not been informed about it in advance. But we thought, "Well, $10 a class -- if Kolby takes three classes, I guess we can afford an extra $30 if we have to."

We decided to stop by the YMCA to get more details about this new fee, and we were very disappointed when we learned that it is a $10 fee per child, per class, per registration, per session. One thing I liked about the YMCA's preschool program was that they are flexible with how many classes a child can be enrolled in -- you can sign them up for one class a week, or several classes a day. But to do this, they have you register separately for each class for each day of the week. So, if we were to stick with our original plan of signing Kolby up for three classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, that would cost $90. Plus, the YMCA has created two different fall sessions (and I am assuming that there will also be 2 winter sessions), so to pay this fee for each fall and winter session would end up being $360. Plus, we were planning on signing Eli up in the winter, so that would add up to $540. And if both boys attended the spring session then that would add up to $720. (That ends up costing quite a bit more for the “free” preschool program than our entire YMCA membership costs for a whole year).

Michael and I just felt like we were almost mislead a little, because the big selling point for us to originally purchase the YMCA membership was the free preschool program, and they didn't even give us any advance notice about this big jump in fees. We noticed it in the program, and now that classes are starting in one month, we feel like we have missed any opportunities to sign him up for other preschool programs elsewhere if we had wanted to, because I'm sure most other programs have filled up by now.

So, I have spent the last couple days feeling a little frustrated and not really knowing what to do about signing Kolby up for preschool. I have written a letter and sent it to our local YMCA branch and the downtown YMCA Association Office, and I am hoping that they might reconsider lowering the fee (especially since the YMCA employee I spoke to said that there had been many parents complaining about this new fee and she had been encouraging them all to send in letters in hopes of a change). But honestly I doubt that they will make a change before the classes start a month from now.

I have started to look into other options, but haven't had much success. I found that our public school district doesn't offer a preschool program, and that even if we had wanted Kolby to be in the 4-year-old kindergarten, he would have missed the September 1st cut-off by a month. I talked to some friends and got some recommendations for preschools they had used, but from what I understand, it would be difficult to register him for classes at this point, especially not morning classes 3 days a week. And I have been invited to participate in joy school groups in the past, but it is a daunting idea for me to attempt to teach lessons to and discipline a group of three-year-olds while trying to take care of my two-year-old, my one-year-old, and nursing my newborn. I don't know. We have some friends with kids Kolby's age who are just waiting another year to sign their kids up for kindergarten. I just don't know if that's the best thing for Kolby or not -- and he loves going to school so much. (Also, if they don't make any changes to these new preschool fees, we will end up canceling our YMCA membership, which will also be disappointing because Kolby and Eli have really excelled at their swimming lessons lately and there is not another pool in the area we could go to, especially during the winter here).

Anyways, I am really hoping that we will get a response to my letters that the YMCA is changing this new fee, and instead just requiring a single registration fee per class, or require the kids to bring a list of school supplies to help with the cost of the supplies for the program. Then we would be able to afford to continue at the YMCA, which I think would be the best option for preschool for the boys this year. But we will just have to wait and see, I guess. I'll keep you posted as to what we find out.

(For anyone who has gotten this far, thanks for reading -- sometimes it's just good to write everything down and get it out on paper when you feel strongly about something).