Cutting costs without cutting camp

With headlines constantly blaring sour economic news, many - if not most - of us are in search of places to cut back on expenses. Summer camp is no exception. Fortunately, say local camp professionals, there are a number of ways parents can reduce the costs of summer camp without cutting it out of the picture altogether - and depriving their kids of a meaningful camp experience. Here is some of their advice.

Ask the right questions

When you're investigating camp costs, make sure you find out about all the fees you'll be responsible for, and about all the resources available to help you out. One of the first questions to ask, says Joanna Stark, executive director of YMCA Camp Shady Brook, is whether financial assistance is available. Most camps offer scholarships, and it's a good idea to look into this option sooner rather than later. Camp Shady Brook is a nonprofit that offers financial aid ranging from 10 percent of camp costs to full scholarships, and awards assistance on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no deadline to apply, as Shady Brook keeps awarding financial assistance until the money runs out. "If we have room, we will not turn away parents based on their ability to pay," says Joanna Stark, executive director of Camp Shady Brook. Other camps have deadlines to apply for scholarships, so it's a good idea to ask about financial aid as early as possible. Another place parents can save is through early bird registrations, Stark says. While it is too late to get a discount on 2009 summer camp, parents can reserve a spot for their kids in the 2010 camp season at 2009 rates at Shady Brook. Many other camps offer similar incentives. Stark also advises parents to check whether camps charge any extra fees beyond the base charge, such as arts and crafts or horseback riding fees. If the camp is part of a larger organization - such as Camp Shady Brook's association with the YMCA - families may get a discount if they're members of that organization.

Camp is not a fashion show

Ariella Rogge, program director with Sanborn Western Camps, recommends that parents resist the urge to buy their kids a lot of new clothes and shiny camping equipment, because the used stuff works just as well and is easier on the wallet.

"It's really just not being afraid to head to a thrift store to find a pair of used cowboy boots, kind of getting out of the idea that my kid has to have the latest and greatest stuff," she says.

In addition to thrift stores, parents can shop for gear online at eBay or Craigslist, Rogge says.

Stark agrees, adding that "new summer clothes" really aren't the best fit for the grit and dirt of the camp lifestyle anyway. "The best clothes for camp are the oldest and the ones nobody cares about anymore," she says.

One critical piece of gear that shouldn't be overlooked is the camera your child brings along to record his summer experiences. Rogge says parents often send a child to camp with disposable cameras preloaded with film that has to be processed later. In recent years, she's seen younger and younger kids bringing digital cameras instead.

"It's an investment, to a degree, but then you don't have to develop all those terrible pictures to see what your kid did," she says with a laugh.

Stark also suggests that parents check with the camp before going shopping, to find out what equipment is provided. Camp Shady Brook, she says, provides all the supplies a camper needs for a camping trip.

Give your camper ownership

Rogge says she's seen a number of families get creative about funding trips to Sanborn Western Camps. Kids can seek out sponsors in their community to help pay for camp, or they can work to help pay the fees themselves.

"We've had kids who - since it's a half-summer program- will work the first half of the summer, and then the parents will match the other half," Rogge says.

Sometimes campers raise money by doing odd jobs around the neighborhood, or kids save their allowance throughout the year as they help out around the house. However they choose to raise money, getting children involved in paying for camp gives them ownership of the camp experience, turning it into something they've themselves.

That ties in nicely with the goals of most residential camps, Rogge says, which seek to help children establish a level of personal responsibility.

Staying home has costs, too

For those parents who question the cost of sending their kids to summer camp, Rogge points out that summer is an expensive time to be a parent no matter where your kids are.

"The thing that's blown me away about camp is how much it costs to keep a kid at home," she says. "You're taking them out to eat, you're running them around in the car to different activities, you're paying for those activities."

And let's not forget the costs of food, gas used shuttling kids around town, piano lessons, trips to the mall ... it adds up. And perhaps of great relief to parents of gossipy teens who can send text messages at the speed of sound, cell phone expenses dwindle when your child goes to camp. "We ask that all of our kids be unplugged," she says.

You can't put a price on this

Even when the budget is tight and the pennies need pinching, it's important for parents to remember the intrinsic value of the camp experience. Rogge, whose passionate belief in the value of camp is evident when she speaks, believes the benefits of camp are priceless.

"It really provides that core set of life skills," she says. "It teaches you how to work with people. No matter what you do for the rest of your life unless you choose to be a hermit, you will have to work with people."

Camp brings together people from all walks of life and asks them to work together, live together and meet challenges together. When all is said and done, when those children have climbed a mountain together, they are connected.

"You have this incredible experience that has bonded you together," Rogge says. "In that bonding you suddenly realize that you aren't so different."

Kids who have problems or have acquired labels in their everyday life back home have the opportunity to start with a clean slate at camp, Rogge says, because they leave their baggage behind.

"Suddenly, that bad kid says, ‘I'm not a bad kid, I just had some bad things happen to me,'" Rogge says. " ‘I want to go back to school and show everybody that I'm not a bad kid.'"

Camp also gives children an opportunity to just be kids without parental intervention, she adds. They can make decisions and deal with the consequences in a safe environment. "You can't put a price tag on the skills and attitudes and beliefs that they will gain, that they will then hold for the rest of their lives," Rogge says. "These are the formative years. This is when they lay the groundwork to become successful, happy and productive adults."