While many D.C. parents, especially those of color, chose to keep their kids home this year even as schools reopened, families are seeing summer programming as especially critical after an unprecedented stint of remote learning. Many are being asked to return to work in-person and need child care; others want their children to socialize and get back to a structured schedule for fall.
But demand is far exceeding supplyespecially for the popular and low-cost Department of Parks and Recreation camps, which are operating at lower capacity because of COVID-19 leaving many parents scrambling for options with just a week until school lets out.
As of last week, DPR had a waitlist of about 7,000 for its full-day summer camps, even after upping its number of available seats from 4,500 to more than 5,900. (DPR hosts four two-week sessions; kids can be on the waitlist for multiple camps and sessions).
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