38 ways to save on sending kids to camp
February 24, 2011
Christl Dabu
SPECIAL TO PARENTCENTRAL.CA
For Denise Clayton, camp seemed out of reach for her eldest daughter, Sydney, 11, due to medical expenses for Clayton’s seriously ill youngest child.
But something called a “campership” changed that. Camperships function like scholarships based on financial need to help families send children to camp.
“Sydney has had to give up a lot of things to support her sister,” says the 44-year-old stay-at-home mother from Toronto. The family often accompanies Stephanie, 9, to the hospital, including during holidays and special occasions, leaving little time for the parents to take Sydney to places for extracurricular activities. “We really want her to have the experience to go to camp, enjoying the outdoors, learning about swimming and kayaking, and doing all kinds of camping trips that we can’t do as a family.”
Whether it’s the unstable economic climate or increased public awareness about both the benefits of camp and the financial aid now available, camps today are more accessible for families who may need a little or a lot of help with fees. To meet the need, a growing number of charities and institutions are providing financial aid and more camps are willing to negotiate payment plans or offer discounts, subsidies and camperships. In the past decade, a handful of specialty charity camps were created specifically to help underprivileged kids. In turn, camps are seeing more groups from diverse socioeconomic and multicultural backgrounds interested or participating in camp.
“We’re trying to make it easier for parents to find a way for their children to experience what we think is an unforgettable experience,” says Liz Greenway, camp manager at YWCA Toronto for the past 32 years. “You’re investing in an experience that’s going to last forever.”
TIPS ON FINDING DEALS, SUBSIDIES AND CAMPERSHIPS
It’s true that camp is an investment not everyone can afford. (A week’s session at overnight camp generally costs $300 to $1,000, and $35 to $500 for the same period at day camp.) But with research, planning and effort, parents can find camps, organizations, grants and programs that help make camp a reality for kids, regardless of their financial situation.
The first step is determining what type of camp and program your child wants to attend, says Heather Heagle, executive director of the Ontario Camps Association, a voluntary, non-profit group promoting high standards in camping in Ontario. What is your child’s interest? Is a day, overnight or specialized camp such as sports, arts or special needs the right fit? (Click here to learn more about the types of camps.)
Contact the camps to find out fees, the type of programs and food, the staff-to-camper ratio, and whether or not they offer subsidies, says Heagle, who also recommends contacting the OCA for advice. Some organizations request a small family contribution to prevent cancellations, and to enable families to contribute to their child’s experience. Once you have chosen a camp that meets your needs, you can work with the camp on payment options.
What families can do
• Start your search online. A good source is Our Kids Media’s camps.ca site, which features articles, advice and a comprehensive camp listing and search engine to help parents find and contact camps in Ontario and across the country. Check out www.campcoupons.com for summer camp deals. Visit the Ontario Camps Association website www.ontariocamps.ca.
• Visit one of the camp expos held around this time of year. For instance, Our Kids Media, which publishes the annual camp guide, Our Kids Go To Camp , is hosting a free Camp Expo on Feb. 26 at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. The info session, which supports the Kids in Camp charity whose mission is to help fund children’s camping experiences, allows parents to meet camp experts and staff from March break and summer camps. The OCA website also lists camp expos.
• Fundraise with your kids. Check out whether a school or company would offer matching funds. Encourage monetary contributions to your child’s camp fund instead of Christmas and birthday gifts. Do chores, yard sales, or something creative and fun to raise funds for camp.
• Volunteer at camp. Some parents take time to work as counsellors, cooks or nurses, for example, to help offset or fund their child’s camp experience.
• Ask family, relatives and friends to contribute to your child’s camp fees instead of giving birthday or Christmas gifts.
• Start your search early to take advantage of early-bird rates or other discounts, says Kristen Gage, assistant director of Glenbrook Day Camp in Stouffville, Ont., which offers such deals and camperships. December to March are recommended times to start applying for a better chance of saving money. Many camps only have an allotted amount of financial aid but can still accept applications year-round as spaces do become available upon cancellations. Some award funding on a first-come, first-served basis.
What camps, organizations and charities offer
• Many camps offer opportunities to make different financial arrangements, says Greenway of YWCA Toronto. You can pay deposits first and pay the balance later, take advantage of making multiple payments and access subsidy funds and camperships. Some even allow you to pay installments over a long period of time.
• Ask churches and organizations such as the Lion’s, Optimists, Kiwanis and Rotary clubs that support initiatives that improve children’s lives. Since there isn’t one centralized network for all of the resources, it’s also a matter of contacting schools, social workers and community agencies, says Jennifer Wilson, interim executive director of Amici Camping Charity, which has been funding children from low-income families to attend summer camp since 1966. (See the list below for a list of specific financial resources and camperships.)
• Other camps offer discounts, or even send a child for free, for referring other campers. Some also offer discounts for siblings. Many camps give children of alumni discounts, subsidies or funding prioritization.
What the government offers
• The Children’s Fitness Tax Credit lets parents claim up to $500 per year for each child under the age of 16 for eligible fitness expenses.
• The Welcome Policy is a fee subsidy program offering free city-operated recreation programs for the GTA’s low-income participants.
• The Ontario government offers parents of children with disabilities funding for camp fees through its Special Services at Home and Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities programs.
WHY CAMP IS A WORTHY INVESTMENT
Many families consider camp a worthwhile way for kids to spend their free time.
“Camp is huge for us – it’s the most important event after Christmas and Easter,” says Trefor Munn-Venn, who has been taking his entire family to camp each year since his first child was born seven years ago. The 42-year-old father of two boys, aged 7 and 5, notes the “extraordinary” change in his children after coming home from camp. They are more confident and proud of themselves for doing things they didn’t think they could do such as wall-climbing, canoeing, and living outdoors for a week. “They’re encouraged to be themselves and the staff help them discover who they are. . . . We see them come back always more relaxed, confident and independent.”
Munn-Venn says if parents take time to shop around and research, they will find that the difference in cost between childcare or day camps and overnight camps is not always that great.
“Can you spend a fortune on camp? Absolutely. Do you have to spend a fortune on camp? Absolutely not,” says the consultant from Ottawa.
“No matter what their economic situation is, there is a camp experience out there for every child,” says Patti Thom, director of Camp Tanamakoon and founding member of the Kids in Camp charity, which offers financial aid to children applying to any of the 300 member camps of the Ontario Camps Association. “You may have to do a little work, but it’s out there.”
•With a file from Caroline Maga
Dabu is the editor at Our Kids Media ( www.ourkids.net), which provides info and news on camps and private schools nationwide through its three magazines and four websites. You can find more ideas on DIY fundraising for camp here.