The District’s Division of Parks and Recreation payments itself as “the company the place the enjoyable occurs.” However for fogeys making an attempt to get their kids a slot in one of many division’s summer season camps, the expertise has typically been something however.
Washington, D.C
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wants to fix the summer camp scramble
A brand new lottery system launched this 12 months by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and DPR Director Delano Hunter goals to take among the stress out of the registration course of and put extra equity into it.
“We all know that DPR performs a crucial function in our neighborhood 12 months spherical, however particularly in the course of the summer season,” Bowser mentioned in an announcement final week. “This 12 months, we now have extra summer season alternatives, extra job alternatives, and a brand new lottery system to assist households keep away from the summer season camp scramble.”
With the brand new system, mother and father and caregivers could have an almost four-week window beginning March 13 to register their camp preferences for his or her kids ages 3 to 13. There are additionally therapeutic recreation camps for kids ages 3 to 16 who’ve developmental and mental disabilities. The summer season camps are damaged out into 4 classes starting June 28 and ending Aug. 18.
Officers say the lottery is a extra equitable solution to deal with camp assignments, particularly for among the hottest places.
“It’s not unusual for demand to exceed out there slots by 10 to 1,” Hunter mentioned. “A lottery will ease nervousness and supply a fairer alternative for households to obtain a camp slot.”
Mother and father enrolling within the camps can select three camp location preferences per baby per session. And for the primary time there will likely be sibling preferences for kids from the identical household who wish to attend the identical camp session.
Lottery functions finish on April 5, and oldsters will likely be notified which camp was chosen for his or her baby on April 18.
In a press launch, DPR mentioned: “All lottery registrations have an equal likelihood of being chosen. Registering early for the lottery will NOT enhance your probabilities.” The summer season camp program is open solely to D.C. residents.
However registering a baby for the lottery doesn’t assure them a slot, a DPR spokesperson confirmed. These not chosen for a camp slot may even obtain both a cancellation of their lottery enrollment or a waitlist enrollment for his or her chosen camp.
DPR has dramatically elevated the variety of summer season camp alternatives in recent times.
“Earlier years we’d common round 6,000 camp slots however in 2022 we jumped to 10,000 camp alternatives,” Hunter mentioned in an announcement. “This 12 months, DPR has added over 5,000 further camp slots and are within the technique of including extra by means of using public and public constitution faculty places and together with our residential camp, Camp Riverview in Maryland.”
Hunter mentioned Bowser and the division’s Recreation for All initiative “offers over $5 million in new funding to extend each the variety of camps and kinds of camps that we provide.”
The enlargement of the summer season camp alternatives coincides with DPR’s announcement that it’s going to prolong hours at neighborhood leisure facilities starting this month. The brand new weekday hours will likely be 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The brand new Saturday hours will likely be 9 a.m. to five p.m.
“By increasing hours at our recreation facilities, we’re creating extra recreation alternatives for residents of all ages and creating extra protected and fascinating alternatives for our younger individuals within the evenings and in the course of the weekend,” Bowser mentioned.
The enlargement of summer season camp alternatives may even create extra jobs. Hunter mentioned DPR will rent upward of 700 seasonal staff, together with camp counselors, lifeguards and park rangers.