Inflation has caused summer camp costs to soar. Here are tips for parents on how to save

As the countdown to summer begins, some are feeling the burn in their wallets as inflation continues to affect everything from gas prices To food. Latest casualty: parents who experience summer camp sticker shock.

Jamie Aderski, a mother of two in New Jersey, made a popular video on TikTok that highlighted the concerns of parents trying to enroll their children in and finance camps. Aderski said costs have even become too high at his neighborhood’s recreation centers, increasing at least 10 percent each summer in recent years. Places are sometimes taken as early as January.

“It’s something that’s kept me up at night thinking, ‘Well, what am I going to do with my kids for the summer?’ And I kind of concocted a plan, but it’s still not enough.”

Some experts say rising summer camp prices stem from the pandemic.

“Families who were not attending camp before the pandemic are now interested in camp for their children. Every parent now realizes how important it is for children to benefit from a summer learning program,” said said Tom Rosenberg, who heads the American Camp Association, a nonprofit organization. that’s about 15,000 camps in the United States.

The American Camp Association says the average day camp costs about $87 per day, a figure that can vary across the country. Rosenberg said camp costs are set a year in advance.

“Many industries are affected by inflation, and the camp is no exception,” he said. “All business costs for camps at all levels have really increased substantially.

What can parents do to offset the costs of summer camp?

Rosenberg offered some advice for parents looking to enroll their children in camps.

These included:

• Ask about financial aid provided by many camps, as well as payment plans.
• Search for a scholarship through a civic organization
• Examine the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which could offset up to $3,000 in summer camp costs per child

Meanwhile, Aderski said she plans to enroll her son in science camp, limiting it to half days spread throughout the summer.

“To see him come home and be excited about something and learn something new, that’s of course the ultimate goal of any parent,” she said. “And camp can be an important part of that experience. I just wish there were more options available for everyone.”