Children may spend an entire year waiting until they can return to their favourite summer camp. Their parents, however, may spend the year saving up to make that return possible. Luckily, there are many resources to make summer camp a reality for all kids, no matter their financial situation.
The Costs You Can Expect
Just as the types of camps vary, so do their fees. In general, traditional residential camps can cost $300-1000 per week, and day camps will run about $35-500. This covers access to the camp’s facilities, meals, accommodation, medical services, and supervision from a trained staff. Depending on the camp, extras like transportation and laundry may also be included in the base fee.
Optional programs, like mountain biking or portaging, will raise a family’s camp fees anywhere between $30-200+. Many camps also have Tuck Shops, where campers can purchase snacks, and camp merchandise. Michael Ankenmann, Executive Director of Camp Mini-Yo-We in Muskoka, Ontario says he has seen kids bring anywhere from $15-150 to spend in their Tuck Shop.
Other costs may come in the form of supplies, equipment, and clothes. Instead of splurging, administrators recommend using whatever’s already at home to keep prices down and avoid ruining newer items.
While some residential camps still support the “roughing it” lifestyle, others are more like resorts, with elaborate sports equipment and gourmet meals. If fees are an issue, families should look at what each camp offers and decide on a list of needs and wants.
What Camps Can Do
Often, the sooner parents register their kids for camp, the more they save. Families with more than one child attending enjoy sibling discounts, and referring other campers will earn them even more fee reductions (bring five friends and go to Camp Mini-Yo-We for free!). Both are also available to discuss individual payment plans with families¾sometimes Camp Ouareau in Quebec even accepts year-round payments.
This past summer, Camp Qwanoes on Vancouver Island sponsored over sixty low-income children through their campership fund. Decisions are made on a first-come-first-served basis, based on individual interviews that demonstrated a family’s need. Some camps, like Camp Ouareau, have more formalized campership funds. Applications must be submitted before the end of December, and decisions are made in March giving priority to returning campers. Almost all camperships require some contribution from the family, and many have noticed yearly increases in funding applications. Also, all funding often remains anonymous among the other campers.
What Charities Can Do
Another valuable resource is a charitable organization whose mandate is to send kids to camp. For almost forty-five years, the Amici Camping Charity has been sponsoring lifelong camp experiences, starting when children are usually around ten to twelve years old, and lasts until they are too old to attend or until the need no longer exists. Kids In Camp also funds campers either partially or fully, but only for one session of camp.
Both charities suggest connecting with their partner camps very early on to have applications in at the beginning of the New Year, and also encourage families to contact them if they are unsure if they should apply. Even though demand is high, Jocelyn Palm of Kids in Camp says she may offer other resources to check out.
The amount of sponsorships that Amici, Kids in Camp, as well as many individual camp foundations can support depends on the fundraising efforts of the previous year and also camp availability. Each is a registered charity and donations are tax-deductable.
What Families Can Do
Paying for camp is increasingly becoming a group effort. Grandparents, friends, and colleagues can contribute to a camper’s fees. Kids can hold yard sales, do chores around the neighbourhood, or save up birthday money. Even Ankenmann used his own paper-route money as a kid to pay for an extra session of camp.
If a parent is a former camper, a great resource is his or her alma mater. Many camp directors give discounts or funding prioritization to the children of alumni, or even subsidize the cost personally.
Parents should also research the Children's Fitness Tax Credit. It allows parents to claim up to $500 in fees spent on physical activities per child under the age of sixteen. For more information, consult the Canada Revenue Agency.
It may seem like a lot of effort to put into a week or two of a child’s summer, but camp directors insist that parents look at it as an investment in their education.
“Camp is the best way I know to develop a healthy independence in kids,” Ankenmann said. And since camp enrolments are holding strong amid a national financial crisis, it’s clear many parents are waking up to this fact.
Give your kids a Summer Camp experience this year. Find a camp for your kids or teens at www.ourkids.net/camp.
Printer-friendly version