The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Summer camp may be different, but just as fun
Leaders honing policies with eye toward following pandemic guidelines
MIDDLETOWN — While summer camp capacities and programming are being reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, area camp directors promise families can expect them to be lively, exploratory and as full of character building as ever before.
Registration either has begun or will be offered over the next week for the Middlesex YMCA Summer Enrichment program and its Camp Ingersoll in Portland, as well as the city’s recreation department.
Spaces are filling up quickly, however, due to maximum camper limits set by the state Office of Early Childhood.
Middletown Recreation and Community Services Director Cathy Lechowicz said measures are in place to allow children and staff to be screened daily for possible symptoms of COVID-19, as
“We believe in recreation for the sake of recreation, so kids can be with their peers so they can have fun and new experiences.” Cathy Lechowicz, director, Middletown Recreation and Community Services
well as undergo temperature taking.
“The big activities won’t happen, but we’re committed to having it be fun and keep kids engaged throughout the day,” she said. “We believe in recreation for the sake of recreation, so kids can be with their peers so they can have fun and new experiences,” Lechowicz said. “This year will really be about care.”
There are a lot of ifs this summer, including whether parents still will be working from home or return to the office, and the possibility of changes coming from the state.
Lechowicz is asking parents and caregivers to register for camp only if they’ve exhausted other options, such as turning to family members or neighbors, to keep slots open for families who really need it.
Camp will run from from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29 to Aug. 7, without bus transportation, field trips or swimming at Veteran’s Pool, which is closed for the summer. A few problems emerged, Lechowicz said, including difficulty spacing out swimmers in each lane, little space between the edge of the pool and the fence, and close quarters in the locker rooms.
Swimming at Crystal Lake will be allowed beginning at the end of June for slightly longer hours and with increased lifeguard patrols.
Bus transportation is still high-risk, with children in close proximity to one another, so none of the facilities is offering this service.
Programs will be held at Farm Hill, Snow and Moody elementary schools, with a capacity of 50 at each, and 30 for the Crystal Lake camp at Ron McCutcheon Park. Each location will separate children into groups of 10.
The ratio of campers to counselors this summer will be five to one, as opposed to the usual 10 to one, Lechowicz said.
Camp is heavily subsidized by the city to keep rates affordable: $80 for the school-based camps and $95 for Crystal Lake.
Portland’s YMCA Camp Ingersoll Director Benjamin Silliman said staff are readying the grounds in anticipation of summer programs, which begin June 29 with strict social distancing and other health and safety measures.
Typically, Ingersoll has 650 slots for children. The agency obtained a waiver from the state Office of Early Childhood to handle as many as 550 campers, though Silliman said they will be limiting capacity to 400.
“We’re very aware that anything can happen. We’re confident we’re going to run to our abilities,” Silliman said.
“We’re looking at what we can do in the best way that we can and to ensure the safety of our families, staff and campers,” said Silliman, who, along with YMCA staff and others camp leaders and state nationwide child provider agencies, has been taking part in biweekly sessions and round-table meetings to keep up on the latest developments during the pandemic.
“Our quality camp program keeps kids safe and distanced between groups,” while still providing core outdoor activities such as archery, a ropes course, games, challenges, team building, nature activities and more, he said.
The Ingersoll day usually includes visits from team-building groups, field trips and other visits, as well as picnics. “We don’t have that right now, so we’ve been focusing on what we can do to see how we can run this year in a safe and still beneficial way for everyone in our community,” Silliman said.
Families are able to choose their fees on four levels: the full cost of camp, a partially subsidized rate for those who need it, a more heavily discounted plan, and financial assistance through the YMCA Open Doors program.
“We know everybody has varying means and abilities so we want to do our part. That’s our effort to make it more accessible to families, so they pick the price that’s suitable for them,” he said.
Kids Arts/The Children’s Circus will not be holding its five-week summer enrichment camp this year.
YMCA Enrichment Camps will be held with limited enrollment, said Ceara Ladue, assistant director of school-age child care.The maximum capacity is 30 in total, broken out into three groups of 10. Normally, 60 a week are enrolled, she said.
There will be no trips for the program, which is enrichment-based and usually end the week with a culmination of what kids learned. “Since that’s not a possibility, we are looking to get some virtual” tours of local museums and other facilities and businesses, Ladue said.
She’s already signed on Perkatory Coffee Roasters and has contacted the Wadsworth Mansion.
Registration opened Thursday. By morning, 10 families had secured spots, so Ladue is encouraging parents to do so as soon as they can. The department is allowing cancellations up to two weeks before each session for a full refund.
“As much as we can, we are offering the camp experience. It may look a little different, but they’re going to still learn skills, make new friends, overcome challenges and obstacles in a fun environment outside with value,” Silliman said.
For information, visit cityofmiddletown.com, campingersoll.org and midymca.org.
“We’re looking at what we can do in the best way that we can and to ensure the safety of our families, staff and campers.” Benjamin Silliman, director, YMCA Camp Ingersoll