Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

DH and I have decent jobs, but are struggling with this issue.
We both work full time and need to send the kids to day camp. All of them are outrageously priced.
The one we have used for years, went up another $1k this year.
For 8 weeks, for 2 kids, it's almost $12k!
Doesn't even include door to door transportation, but there is shuttle bus at a local school they offer.

We live on North Shore, Western Suffolk.
DD is 12, DS is 8.
I priced out every camp I could find.
For 8 weeks, I got prices for up to $17,500!!!!

There are less expensive ones, but we need 8 hours a day
and a bus or shuttle bus and those don't offer it.

There are also 2 weeks that camps end before school starts, and on those day, we drive them to my parents house 1 hour each way.

Any ideas?
Thanks

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

OMG thats insane! I would consider hiring a nanny for the summer. Someone who can take your kids to the park, beach, pool, wherever. It will be half the cost.

Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

What about one of the YMCA camps. Not sure of cost or schedule but growing up I knew people who went to the one in Huntington.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

My kids are litter but they go to camp at the Huntington Y and love it. They also have a program for older children. It is no where near $12,000 for the summer. They have before and after care so I believe the hours are 7am to 6:30pm.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Check out the Y

I know the towns have camp programs but their hours won't work for working parents

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

What county are you in? Nassau count offers an I think its 7 or 8 weeks this year for 1050 for 8:30-5:30 (disscount on additional kids) only downside is that its outdoors so if it rains you can't use them.

I also use a Taekwon do place for camp. Its extremely reasonable. Is it has good as the high price ones no but they go swimming once a week have a "field trip" and they bring activities in. Its simple and nothing fancy but it works for us.

I refuse to pay that much for camp (nor could I really afford it). I never went to camp so never saw the appeal my parents sent us to a babysitter all summer (same one they used during the year).

Other option besides the two above would be probably to find someone to come to your house and watch them for the summer. It def should be cheaper and if you trust then enough you can always give them money to take them to do things through out the summer

ETA: just re read and saw you are in suffuolk county. I would check to see what town camps they offer.

Message edited 2/10/2017 11:20:21 AM.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

can your 12 y/o volunteer? maybe an animal shelter for half the summer to offset costs?

Message edited 2/10/2017 11:28:35 AM.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

I live in the city, but my son goes to a program from 9-6 (and actually they open the doors at 8:30) that is through one of the after school programs. It is at a local high school.

I pay $750 for the day after July 4th until the third week in August.

By no means is it fancy, at all, but he has fun, it's safe, they have a lot of activities.

I'd assume you had to do some digging, but call local aftercares and the Y (I didn't love the Y the summer we did it, but my son was 6, but had just finished K so he was with younger kids then he had to be with)

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Have you looked at Sporttime in Kings Park or Sports Pro on the campus of SCC? No bus, by they do allow you to extend the day.

Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Check out camp W
It's in south Huntington, they use Birchwood school
They have bus service.
I sent my daughter to Driftwood last year. But it's just too expensive. :(

Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

W also has before and after care

Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Have you tried mid island y? Definitely less than $12k for both and accommodating on hours

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Can you do half day and use a babysitter for the other half? Or do 2-3 days of camp and the others with a sitter?

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Scouting camp

Get a baby sitter and do camp only for part time. Town summer wreck should be a lot less.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Check out Scope (scopeonline.us)
They offer summer programs through school districts throughout Long Island and are very reasonably priced. You don't even need to be part of that particular school district to join. My DD is the same age and has done it for several years in an adjacent school district. They offer fashion design, theatre, art, sports, etc.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Lifetime fitness in Syosset has camp for 400 a week. SUNY Farmingdale is reasonable too.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

The JCC in commack will be less than what ur paying now and they bus to the campgrounds, I think if u sign up early you get a week free, it should be around $4k for the summer per kid, I priced it out a while ago but I don't remember the exact number
ETA: dix hills park also has a summer camp

Message edited 2/10/2017 5:47:54 PM.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Do you have a Boys and Girls Club near you? We do, and from what I hear, their camp is cheap. What about through the district? Ours has camp there and it's like $900 for the Summer. What about the town? I know Town of Brookhaven offers full day camp, suitable for working parents for less than $1,000 for the Summer. Maybe your town offers something. It won't be "fancy pants" camp, but you won't be paying $12k either.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

I agree with looking into whether your 12 year old can be a counselor-in-training to offset some of the cost. I know a lot of camps around here have CIT programs for middle school aged kids. They help out the counselors with the younger kids for part of the day and then take part in the activities (pool, etc) for the other part of the day. The tuition is usually discounted in the range of 50% for CIT programs. (But I am on the south shore of Nassau and less familiar with camps in the OP area.)

I know there are usually college students looking for babysitting work in the summer. So maybe, as others have said, look into not doing extended hours or bus service to cut down cost and have a babysitter pick up and stay with kids until you are home. Or, cut back on the daily hours or number of weeks your kids are in camp. Maybe do 4 weeks of camp and hire a babysitter for the other month?

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

My DS goes to the Young Peoples Day Camp, there is one in suffolk and nassau and they do provide transportation. http://ypdc.com/suffolk-county-day-camp/
Cost is about $3400 for 8 weeks.
Also I agree w/other pp about getting your older DC into a CIT program to help with costs.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

I would probably just hire a sitter, it would probably be less expensive vs. camp. I know lots of college students look for babysitting jobs in the summer.

Message edited 2/13/2017 2:17:04 PM.

Re: Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

Do you have a town camp like Town of Oyster Bay does? It's very reasonable. We have our kids in a different camp, (inexpensive ) and have a sitter to get them at 3 pm. The daycamps on LI are very expensive . Multiply it for multiple children over the course of 10 years, financially it doesn't make sense for most families. Some families have a nanny and just add classes here and there to keep kids busy.

Stressing! How to afford summer camp/care

I think PAL offers camp too