Open Arms Center

Hands down the best place in the city for children , the staff are amazing ! The programs are amazing and the have a way of connecting with the children like I’ve never seen before!! Not to mention the best boxing program in the state !

Open Arms Community Center Statement. At Open Arms Community Center, our mission is to support the behavioral health and development of the youth in our community. Many of the children we serve face behavioral challenges, and we are proud to be a resource and safe space for them and their families. This summer marked the first year of our Camp, and while we recognize there is always room for growth, we are proud of what we accomplished. With over 80 campers enrolled and only one negative review, we consider our inaugural year a success. Our Camp operated Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Campers received a light breakfast and lunch daily, generously provided by the State of Ohio Food Program-meals that are designated for the children only. We understand that working with children who have behavioral needs comes with challenges, and we appreciate the many parents who understand and support this mission. Our goal remains to be a bright light in the lives of all the youth we serve, while also maintaining a safe and respectful environment for both staff and children. We encourage open communication. Parents are always welcome to speak with our directors about any concerns. For the safety and accountability of everyone at the center, our facility is equipped with audio and video monitoring systems. These tools allow us to review incidents objectively and give parents the opportunity to see exactly what is happening when concerns arise. We remain committed to creating a nurturing, structured, and safe space for learning, growth, and fun. Thank you to all the families who entrusted us with your children this summer--we look forward to growing and improving together.

This program was great for my sons, they were working with Coach Rahsaan and learning boxing. They also went on some trips and got to learn how to handle their emotions. They also just went to the world of Havoc to compete in boxing.

Great place great staff , good place to start or jump back into boxing , love the environment

DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO THIS CAMP. My children have been attending Open Arms Camp on Hamilton Road for a little over four weeks, and I’ve had issue after issue since day one. Bullying is a daily occurrence—my daughter and both of my sons have been picked on by other kids, and NOTHING has truly been done about it other than some sporadic talking. Older kids bully the younger ones, and a group of girls even tried to jump my daughter in the bathroom. I’ve spoken to the director about this, and while he acknowledged my concerns, the problems persisted. Just today, my daughter was hit with a jump rope by a little boy. When she told the teacher, the teacher told her to “just back up.” That’s it. I have visible proof of the injury—a raised welt on her arm. The lack of proper response is unacceptable. The staff here is unprofessional, underqualified, and inattentive. One worker told my son to “chill out” when he got upset, then kicked him out of the room when he reacted again—instead of managing the situation with patience or professionalism. When I told her that her approach could’ve been better Instead of telling my son to get out, she seemed visibly upset and was mumbling under her breath as she walked away. My daughter also told me they couldn’t even find my son at one point—he was later found asleep on a couch. How are you running a camp and don’t know where a child is? The staff and campers don’t even know each other’s names. My daughter told me she’s watched girls taunt her right in front of staff with no consequences. She’s heard staff yell at kids, tell them to “shut up and sit down”, curse at them, and even overheard inappropriate sexual conversations. This is a toxic and unsafe environment for any child. To top it off, the food is almost nonexistent. My kids are dropped off around 8:30–9 a.m. and picked up around 2:30. They receive a light breakfast and a light snack in the afternoon—and that’s it. Meanwhile, they see staff bringing in food and drinks for themselves as well as other campers with outside food. They were outside in the heat, and staff refused to give them more water, saying, “That’s for us.” I was stunned. This place looks good on the surface—fancy workout equipment, boxing ring, game room—but it’s all for show. This camp is unorganized, chaotic, and lacks any real structure or supervision. They’ve only opened this year and are already this dysfunctional. Save yourself the stress and your kids the trauma. As of today, my children will never return to this camp. I’ll be speaking with the director one final time, but I’m done. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. If you care about your children’s safety, well-being, and development, look elsewhere. This camp needs a complete overhaul in staff, training, and leadership. Until then, this is one of the worst-run camps I’ve ever encountered. The only reason I gave one star is because I couldn’t give zero stars.