Testimonials
Please read these personal testimonies and see what people are saying about YMCA Child Care. 

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Family Finds Support at Market Street
"We were lucky to have the YMCA to take the boys to gave us a familiar and trustworthy home for the kids. We were in Portland for my wife's urgent surgery and we were stuck on who to leave the children with. We had contacted a few nannies but nothing felt right until we remembered the Y. We have been members in Ashland and our son has gone to preschool since before the age of two. I contacted the staff at the Market Street YMCA Child Development Center and took the boys there. We really felt good about the care they recieved. They were considerate of our scholarship needs and were very supportive, right down to searching for the misplaced shoes lost before our departure. We want to recognize Kelly Skopil for everything she did for us." The Brown Famly

YMCA Assists in Equipment Outfitting, Brings Hope to Family
Johannah is a foster child who has been with her current foster parents for the last two years. She is a constant presence in the YMCA after school program at Rowe Middle School and this spring joined the girl’s soccer team. This gave her an opportunity to do something she had never done before: Be part of a team. Johannah did not have the equipment needed to play, but through assistance was outfitted to do just that. Her foster Dad was grateful for the support. “I have tried to motivate her to get her homework done. The possibility of losing her video games didn’t have an impact, but the idea of loosing her after school program privileges motivated her to improve her schoolwork. Johannah is now caught up at school and having more fun than ever. This has given her a chance to interact socially with kids and has become a real place of comfort.” 

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YMCA Childcare, Making An Impact
“My daughter has had a very rough start in life. When I received her at five years of age she was just starting to learn how to walk, talk, eat without a bottle – all as a result of severe abuse at the hands of her biological mother. YMCA was the first program she has not been kicked out of. Though my daughter is not yet capable of making real friends, she is able to observe other children interacting appropriately and for her this is a real gift.” Randi, YMCA Childcare Parent

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Y Kids Come First
As a Director in the Early Childhood field, Stephannie Swinehart knows what she wants in school age programs. She was excited to find that her daughter would have the opportunity to attend the first licensed facility in their area at Sandy Grade School. After meeting YMCA staff member Cortnie Geringer, Stephannie was even more thrilled. According to Stephannie, “I know that my daughter gets the confidence she needs through role modeling, mentoring and the best supervision I could ask for.” She felt she could easily focus on her job knowing her daughter was safe, loved and involved in some super cool activities. “I can’t describe the comfort I feel when she attends the YMCA after school program.”

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Minister Invites YMCA to Open Child Development Center
Pastor Gerry Hill saw a rapidly growing Sherwood community in need of quality child care and invited the  YMCA to open a new Child Development Center in his church. “We’re united by a shared vision to serve the children in our community with quality childcare and are very pleased with our joint ministry.” Sherwood Child Development Center Program Director Elizabeth Stewart told us, “Gerry actively promotes our program and connects us with people in the community.” According to Gerry, “I appreciate that Elizabeth’s heart is truly with the kids.”

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Childcare Mother Becomes Volunteer Campaigner
YMCA Site Director Joanne McArdle works with many parents, but was impressed with Betty Koenig’s enthusiasm and asked her to be a campaign volunteer. According to Betty, “It was easy for me to campaign for the YMCA because I believe in the programs and I want to see as many kids as possible have the opportunity to participate.” Betty’s son participates at the Troust Elementary School YMCA school-age program and shares Betty’s positive energy. Betty says, “Joanne is a positive and calming influence on him.”

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