Parents Are Having a Hard Time Sending Their Kids to Summer Camp

Parents – you aren’t the only ones in the family feeling the impact of the recession. According to CNN, it’s impacting your kids’ summer plans! Take Sheila Bernus Dowd from San Jose. Her children attended so many camps last summer that she used spreadsheets to keep track of them! This year’s a different story. Her 9-year-old son’s only camp plans include a week at roller hockey camp for $100 – which includes the cost of equipment. It’s a far cry from last summer, when just one of his camps - involving video-game developing - had a $1,000 price tag. Dowd says they just can’t afford to do that right now, and they’re not alone.

According to the American Camp Association, about 49% of camps are experiencing lower enrollment this summer than last. However, programs that cater to low-income families have seen more interest this year - and may have to turn children away. For example, The Fresh Air Fund helps low-income New York City children stay for free at camps, or with volunteer host families in suburbs or small towns. According to their Executive Director, they’ve seen a significant increase in the number of children signing up early. Also, more families are applying for YMCA “camperships” - camp scholarships to help those who are financially strapped. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America have also seen a surge of interest for the summer. According to Kirk Dominic, executive vice president of club services, they’re getting a lot of kids enrolling who’ve traditionally gone to weeklong camps or specialty camps. As an added bonus, this summer, Boys and Girls Clubs will provide more than 1 million free meals to children in its programs. Sound like something you’d like to look into?