Earned the highest safety score in Akron. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
Full Ranking Detail
childcare
Firestone Park Ymca / Ritzman Clc is a SUTQ Gold-rated before and after-school care program operated by Akron Area YMCA, offering school-year services at a school-site location and summer/non-school care at the main Firestone Park YMCA branch. Before care begins at 6:30 AM and after care extends to 6 PM, supporting working families of Akron Public Schools students. The facility is peanut-free with catered on-site meals, classroom cameras, secure entry, and YMCA membership benefits included for full-time enrollees; public funding and child care vouchers are accepted. The program is limited to school-year operation at the school-site location, requiring families to access the main YMCA branch on non-school days.
Safety8.0
Curriculum7.0
Art / Music7.0
Kindergarten readiness7.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion7.0
Management8.0
Culture7.0
Extracurriculars7.0
Programs & curriculum
Programs & activities: Before and after school care for Akron Public Schools students. Offers Fun Days with a multitude of activities when school is not in session.
What sets it apart: Operated by Akron Area YMCA. Before care starts 6:30 AM; after care until 6:00 PM at the branch or 2:30-6 PM at schools. Tuition: before care $75/week, after care $85/week, combined $110/week, plus $40 non-refundable registration fee per child. YMCA members get reduced rates. Accepts publicly funded child care.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.
Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Firestone Park Ymca / Ritzman Clc -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/akron-canton/akron/firestone-park-ymca-ritzman-clc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-safety.jpg"
alt="Best for Safety - Firestone Park Ymca / Ritzman Clc - Akron, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
