Wendy Wolfson
October 25, 2017 06:00
The JCC has posh facilities they keep them clean. Their childcare, however, is underwhelming. We had two first graders in their program, one with a disability. At age 6, our son was difficult to manage. I was working full time at a job with rigid deadlines. The director of the "Club J" afterschool program ignored all our communications; three separate emails, and numerous phone calls for input on how to properly deal with our child. I then called her and requested extra support for a few weeks because my husband would be on a work trip abroad. Her response? "That is your problem." She then threw my first grader out with no notice, after I did not respond to her phone call within an hour while at work. It was a nightmare. The membership director seemed surprised that I would want to withdraw his sister as well from their program. While we understand that caring a child with disability is beyond the will and capabilities of the Jewish Community Center, it is a private institution so is not obligated to do so. However, ignoring months of letters and phone calls, then leaving us in the lurch with no notice was unprofessional. Happily, the city afterschool program was willing and competent to deal with both our children, and consistently showed excellent communication and willingness to work with us. I have continued to tell other parents of the great childcare resources the city has to offer. Childcare is expensive in Irvine but one does expect a basic level of courtesy and reliability. Since then we heard similar stories from other parents. Wasn't just us.