Helping Families Access Summer Camp: Constraints and Associated Negotiation Strategies

Developmentally enriching experiences are important for all youth and may take place in a variety of contexts both in and outside of school. While schooling is widely available, out-of-school experiences are generally less accessible to low-income families due to the opportunity gap. The purpose of this study was to identify constraints parents face when attempting to access summer camp and the most promising negotiation strategies for navigating around those constraints. Using an online, census-matched, panel survey, we asked 1,019 parents of children aged 7-14 to consider sending a child to summer camp and report their most concerning constraints and the negotiation strategies most likely to alleviate them. Results from this study offer concrete strategies to help families of all backgrounds access the benefits of summer camp participation. For example, while constraints varied by social identity, all camps would benefit from proactively addressing parents’ concerns regarding infectious diseases, supervision, access to adequate medical care, and cost.