As important as exercise is, the Y recognizes that when you have small children it’s a lot easier said than done. That’s why the Y is proud to offer outstanding drop-in childcare to all of its members. Kid Zone is a supervised play area for young children whose parents or caregivers are utilizing the Y. Although it is not a licensed facility and does not have a maximum enrollment, we strive to maintain a reasonable child to caregiver ratio. However, during our busiest times we recognize that some children may not be comfortable in such a fast paced and unstructured environment, and we defer to the parent's judgment as to whether or not their child should stay.
Help us take care of your child! Specific instructions or information regarding how we can best care for your child is important to our staff. Please let us know if there is anything we need to know about your child to help us create a safe, enjoyable environment.
Due to the ever changing number of children in our care and the wide age range they represent, the Kid Zone environment is primarily one of free play. Children are separated in the Kid Zone room by age, as this allows children to choose from age-appropriate and safe toys and activities.
Parents are responsible for bringing their children to any other classes within the Y, as we do not ever want to compromise the supervision of your children.
Kid Zone is available to all Y members, as long as parents or caregivers are in the building or on the YMCA grounds. Parents or caregivers are required to let Kid Zone staff know where they will be during the time their children are in Kid Zone.
Visits to Kid Zone are not to exceed 2 hours.
Health Guidelines
Illness and infections spread easily among children. If you suspect that your child is not feeling well, please put off your workout for another day. Kid Zone staff may retrieve parents if they feel a child is too sick to visit Kid Zone or if they exhibit any of the following symptoms: fever, diarrhea, vomiting, sore throat, unknown rash, pink eye or any contagious illness. Please let us know if your child becomes ill with a contagious illness after participating in our program so we can notify other families whose child may have been exposed.
Parents or caregivers must accompany their children to Kid Zone and fill out the sign in sheet before leaving. Upon returning, parents or caregivers should initial and mark the time out.
If a child is to be picked up by someone other than the person dropping the child off, written permission must be given to the Kid Zone staff. Clearly write this information on the sign in sheet, as it is our practice to release children only to the person whose name is listed as the one who dropped them off.
We believe that keeping children busy in age appropriate activities is the best proactive discipline. Redirection and positive reinforcement are the primary methods of discipline used.