Boys & Girls Club of Vista

Glad to see good work being done here in Vista. I recently meet with some of the great people making the community better for local kids by offering Futsal as an option for the kids in the community!
I look forward to seeing this program get started and grow.

This club has been a helping the kids of Vista for more than 50 years… so that’s a good thing. The staff is great and so are the many volunteers. The kids play inside and out during the day… which is what they’re supposed to be doing… playing!
There are other great programs that the Club offers such as STEM and drama. For a low fee children get to use their imagination and play with their peers… instead of sitting on the couch in the house watching TV… sometimes alone.
One of their kids, Russell Wilson, was awarded the California Youth of the Year for all Boys & Girls Clubs, so they must be doing something right!
Custody battles are no fun, but the staff tries very hard to be understanding… but not everyone can be happy– that’s why they call it a custody ‘battle.“
Boys & Girls Clubs are usually located in under-​served communities. If they were not, they would have to charge high fees to take care of the children. When I wrote for the North County Times, I was always thrilled to go and cover an event at the Boys & Girls Club of Vista. They truly make a difference.

Great staff, very affordable, with so many activities for the kids to participate in, I am so thankful I found this hidden gem. I’m a single mother of two boys 6yr old & 7yr old. Had no idea how i would cover daycare while they were on summer break. A couple friends referred me here, filled out the application & recieved a call the next day. I was also approved to pay half off the fees, which was a blessing for me because childcare as you know is never cheap! Very grateful to have something locally that my boys love going to and that i could afford. The hours of operation are also perfect for the working parent. From 7am-6:30pm.
The staff and volunteers are awesome! My 7year old didn’t seem too happy one evening while i was picking him up, I asked him what happened while a staff stood by attentively listening. He said he had a bad day & a girl has been saying mean things to him, the staff member Ms. Diane or Diana immediately jumped in and explained to my son that if that ever happens he needs to tell a staff member & my son told her he was shy. At that very moment she helped me comfort him & told him there is nothing to be shy about she would approach the girl and take care of it herself, long story short– the girl apologized and they are now friends. They are strongly anti bullying, made me feel very comfortable of my kids and helped his self esteem.
highly reccomend the boys & girls club of vista. :)

I am a single Dad with shared custody and my words cannot express my hurt and disgust from this place. It started out when Vista Boys and Girls Club called me and asked me to pay a bill that my ex had incurred after signing up our daughter without my knowledge. On the phone I asked if I was on the emergency information and the girl that called me refused to tell me if I was on the emergency contact information but wanted me to pay the bill. I asked whom the manager was and told the girl I would be right down since I only work a few minutes away.
After I arrived at the Boys and Girls Club I asked to speak with the Director Matt. Since this was not my first bout with this type of situation, when I put my hand out to shake Matt’s hand at my introduction of myself I asked if I could record our conversation with his permission, he agreed. I still have that recording if anybody want to hear it.
I saw my neighbors there, I we said hi to each other and gave them a hug before going into Matt’s office with Matt, my girlfriend and myself. I told Matt that I was simply there to make sure that I was listed on the emergency information because my ex had signed up our daughter. With attitude, Matt refused to show me access to my daughter’s information. I expressed to him that it is in the best interest of my daughter for safety and that I have a court ordered legal right to be involved in activities and institutions (schools ect.) that she attends. After a period of time of me pleading and expressing to him that I had all legal papers and countless legal documents on my lap top in the car Matt still refused me access or to take down my information for emergency or any other purpose.
Now after this, Raul came into the office with his shoulders and chest all puffed up and asked what that problem was. I explained to him that Boys an Girls Club asked me to pay a bill and that Matt was refusing to add me to the emergency information for my daughters safety. Raul refused to include me on my daughters file too and told me I need to take it up with my ex and the court. Finally Raul’s solution was for me to resign up my daughter under my own account and to pay all over again so he could give me the public information about The Boys and Girls Club.
I told him that was nonsense and I asked «if my daughter falls down and crack’s her head open what would you do if her mother was work in LA and he refused to take my information?» .Raul shrugged his shoulders and in a patronizing way said «you want to leave you number then?»
Like I said, I have all of this conversation recorded. I am glad my girlfriend of 4 years was there as a witness because Matt and Raul both wrote and signed court declarations stating that I threatened them and that they had to evacuate the facility and called the cops because of me. Records will show that I was the only one that called the police because I wanted them to enforce the Federal Law where No school or institution can refuse either parent access to a child or their information without having prior proof.
If anybody would like to hear the recording or see the declarations please google my name and you will be able to easily get my information.
TJ Crossman
Vista CA

Ok, so it isn’t in the best part of town. Yes, there are a LOT of kids there. But Raul & the staff are all amazing. They have a set schedule and stick to it. They help the kids with their homework, they have all sorts of organized activities and it is WAY cheaper than any other option. The organization has always been good to my family, my girls enjoy their time there and get to exercise their «setting an example» muscles. Don’t be a snob, give them a call.

Great, safe and affordable place to go. This place provides structured homework help, free snack, and great programs such as show choir, soccer and drama that are free with the $ 50 annual membership. My kids go to Breeze Hill and I like the fact that they are friends with kids from all different backgrounds. Staff is friendly, professional, educated with lots of years of Boys & Girls Club experience.
Sure, the place was built in the early 1960s and needs some TLC– but they do have a brand new teen room, computer lab, baseball field and gym.
They recently won an award for being one of the top 5 Boys & Girls Clubs in all of California so they are definitely doing something right here. Thumbs up and high fives to this local non-​profit!

If I could give this place one star I would! I moved to Shawdowridge and needed after school care, and everything at the school was full so I have heard and known of the BGC to have always been clean and very nice, so I called and was put on a waiting list, and drove down to look at the place to see if I ever wanted to send my child here.
RUN, RUN RUN, it is not the cleanest place, their is no security, kids are running everywhere all age groups are mixed together. So my family and I left and didn’t think twice about it, UNTIL this place called me and said to me you owe 100.00 for pick up for your child!!! WHAT? My child has never attended I was put on a waiting list how the heck do I owe you money seriously???
Don’t call this place, dont waist your time driving there, and if your familiar with VISTA its not on the clean, side of town either.

If you really CARE about the kind of care your child receives then please dont allow your childern to spend time here. My son has been stolen from twice and when i came in to speak with staff was told yes its a problem and thats life. my son has been picked on by other children and was told basically the same thing «yes its a problem and thats life» then the time my son got panced and stood up for himself i was told «this is not acceeptable behavior» he got suspended. where is the staff you ask well i will tell you they are older children attending the boys and girls club… really!!! dont waste your time sending your child to this «positive» place. spend a little more money and a further drive to a place that really cares.