Single mom Tara Parlee from Calgary found registering her two young kids for summer camps akin to a second full-time job. Like many working parents, summer camps are her primary childcare option when school is out. Parlee describes the challenge of registering one child only to find the spots are gone by the time she attempts to register the second.
Catherine Anderson, a hub manager at Trellis Society, notes that their summer camp registrations fill quickly, often based on early registration for families already in their programs. She highlights the financial burden and timing issues, as parents often have to make large payments in March. Rising costs and inflation have led more families to seek subsidies and payment plans. Ellen Percival of Calgary’s Child Magazine advises parents to explore multiple options, join waitlists, and seek community camps for subsidies.
Parlee eventually secured spots at a community centre for $1,200 per child per month before subsidies. She hopes future registrations will be easier by returning to the same camp each year.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/summer-camp-registration-competition-1.7164130
