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Longmont continues summer day camp for low-income families

Low or no fees for participants
Summer camps like Genesis Church Kids Camp and Ambition Performing Arts Inc. summer camp get kids active, out of the house and trying new things.
Summer day camps

 

Longmont will continue to team with Weld County to provide a summer day camp for youth from the area’s low-income families, providing them with an invaluable experience in a safe environment, the program’s director said this week.

The city council last month approved an agreement with Weld County to renew a three-year commitment for children from families who qualify under the state’s Child Care Assistance Program, or CCAP. 

The CCAP provides financial assistance to eligible low-income families who need child care for their children from birth to age 12, according to a city staff report to the city council. The agreement allows Longmont to be the authorized day camp provider for local CCAP-recipients, the staff report states.

The day camp is held at the St. Vrain Memorial Building, 700 Longs Peak Avenue. 

Suellen Dabney, Longmont’s recreation program supervisor, oversees the summer camps and stressed their importance for area families.

The camp “provides a safe, engaging, and active traditional day camp for school aged children at little or no cost to them,” Dabney said via email. “Flexible drop off pick/up times accommodate most work schedules and the ability to select specific days of care (versus being forced to pick entire weeks regardless of need) aligns with CCAP funding requirements. For example, some folks are approved for care only on Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday,” she said.

In 2022, one camper will attend through Weld County CCAP, and nine attend via Boulder County CCAP, Dabney said.

While each child’s attendance pattern can differ, many do come full time — which is 48 days over the summer — from May 31 through Aug. 5, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, she said.

The out of pocket cost for 48 days of care for a Longmont resident is $45 x 48 = $2,160, Dabney said.

The costs to the family who receives CCAP is dependent upon their financial/individual family status, Dabney said. 

“We have families whose children attend with $0 parent fees each month.  I have a family who pays $81 in parent fees each month, and another who pays $187 each month,” she said.

 After their parents pay fees, their children attend camp for “free,” Dabney said.

Longmont, she added, Longmont is reimbursed $37.80/day by Boulder CCAP.

“We do have a number of families with siblings in our camp,” she said. “By participating in the CCAP program and based on their qualifying income, families receive summer child care at a fraction of the cost.”

“With an amazing staff and weekly theme-based activities, the Longmont Summer Day Camp is a supportive and social outlet for youth ages 5-13,” Dabney said.