With the school year ending in a matter of weeks, families are facing yet another challenge related to the global coronavirus pandemic: What is the fate of summer camps?
In Fairfax County, the news came Wednesday that summer camps run by the County are canceled.
This includes all Fairfax County Park Authority-sponsored summer camp programs, REC-Pac programs at local schools, summer camp programs sponsored by Neighborhood and Community Services and School-Age Child Care (SACC) programs. Information about refunds or credits is not yet available.
The City of Alexandria made a similar call earlier this month for camps run through its Parks & Recreation Dept. and other city-affiliated camps.
With school buildings closed for the rest of this school year, many parents and guardians have had to step into the “teacher” role while simultaneously trying to work from home.
As businesses slowly starting to reopen, parents may be expected to return to their old routines and work from their job site or office — and those parents will need child care for the summer.
With the cancellation of Fairfax County camps (Arlington County made a similar announcement Wednesday), parents may need to be patient or creative about planning this summer.
On local Facebook parenting groups, many parents are pessimistic about summer camps opening in the traditional structure. “It’s gonna be a long miserable summer,” one mother wrote.
But others have some optimism that solutions will surface for working parents. One parent wrote: “I'm optimistic there will be SOMETHING available, even if it's not our traditional camp we've done in the past.”
The Centers for Disease Control has released a summer camp “decision tree” to assist administrators and directors of summer camps and summer programs in choosing a safe and appropriate course of action that meets the needs of their particular community and that is consistent with state orders. The tree asks camp leaders if they are able to screen children and staff members daily, if the camp can accommodate social distancing, and if the camp can meet requirements for cleaning and disinfecting. Specific requirements on these elements are up to individual state governments.
Monday, the American Camp Association and YMCA of the USA, in partnership with Environmental Health and Engineering and an expert panel of science, health, hygiene and safety experts, published a field guide for camps to help them make decisions and implement safety plans for the summer.
The guide (available here) covers communications, health, safety around food and activities, what to do in the event of a COVID-19 diagnosis and more.
"We hope that camps will be able to make informed, safe, and responsible decisions about if, when, and how they operate this summer,” said Paul McEntire, chief operating officer, YMCA of the USA. “We know that camp is a transformational experience for building relationship skills, independence, responsibility, appreciation for differences and a sense of belonging. We are concerned about the negative impact the COVID-19 crisis is having on youth mental health and are looking for every way in which we can help camps rebuild social connections, coping skills, and resiliency in children across the country.”
Local Private Camps Face Tough Calls
The City of Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA) is asking parents in a survey to “tell us how modified summer programs will meet your family's needs for a safe and enjoyable summer.” Options include half day camps, full day camps and a yes/no question on whether parents are interested in online or virtual camps.
Summer camp programs such as those organized by Head First, which serve communities in the D.C. area, are closely monitoring information issued by the CDC in determining whether or not camps this summer will occur in-person.
Head First recently reached out to families with details about new, weekly virtual camp sessions — which does not mean traditional summer camps are canceled. The virtual camp sessions, beginning May 25, will be hosted through Zoom.
Camp counselors will guide campers through themed activities consisting of art, STEM as well as active games. Head First has also reached out to parents with guidance on refund options in the event that in-person camps are not safe. Like other camps, Head First will make decisions in the coming weeks.
Steve and Kate’s Camps, which operate in Arlington, Alexandria and D.C., are also keeping families updated with a new “COVID-19” tab on their webpage. Camp leaders have been waiting for further guidance from Virginia Dept. of Health officials to make any decisions regarding in-person activities. Families will have the option to rollover current camp passes to Summer 2021 or receive a refund in September for unused passes.
As of now, the state of Virginia has not issued guidelines specifically for summer camps. The current requirements for childcare, such as daycare or pre-school, are focused primarily on children of essential employees who must report to work. Those requirements include increased cleaning, guidelines for masks and more.
While parents are waiting for information from summer camps, the best course of action for them will be to start talking to their employers early about their options, brainstorm solutions and ideas with other parents and stay flexible.
