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Your financial assistance program may help families afford program tuition, but what about everything beyond that? Barriers like supplies, technology, transportation, and more can still leave some families behind.
Create a Free Supply Closet
Similar to a food pantry, source donations of gear that is commonly needed at your programs. At a classic sleepaway camp, participants might need things like:
- Sleeping bags
- Sheets
- Swimsuits
- Hiking or horseback riding boots
- Duffel bags
- Towels
- Rain gear
- Sneakers
- Sweatshirts
It’s a great idea to wash and use quality unclaimed items last year’s lost and found for this purpose; you can also partner with local organizations such as a charity thrift store or sporting goods store to fill your supply closet.
Once your supply closet is stocked, find ways for participants and their families to shop.
- If participants live near your program and it’s easy for them to get there, open the supply closet on certain days and allow families to come before the program and take whatever they need.
- If participants live in particular locations away from the program, turn a bus into a mobile supply closet. Let participants know when the mobile supply closet will be in town, and let them sign up for times to shop (or for the shop to come to them!).
- If it is difficult to physically connect with participants and their families before the program, have an order form where caregivers can mark items their kids need, as well as sizes and favorite colors/styles. Do your best to fulfill all the requests, and send a picture of the items you gathered back to the caregiver so they know what you have ready for them. Have the items waiting for the participant in a duffel bag when they get to camp.
Provide Translation and Interpretation
Every email I get from my child’s principal has the message written in Spanish and in English. It is an incredible yet simple service to families in your community who primarily speak Spanish, and it’s something that programs can do, too.
If you notice that there is a contingent of participants whose primary language is one other than English, work to provide resources for them. This could mean translating forms or having a staff member fluent in that language prepare caregivers and kids for programs, as well as communicate during the program as needed.
It has to be scary sending your child off to programs, especially if you have trouble fully understanding all of the important details because of a language barrier. Sharing resources and communicating in multiple languages provides the clarity and understanding that many caregivers need to be confident in sending their kids to programs.
Examine Your Program’s Hours
Are your service hours aligned with common working hours in your community? For example, a day program or camp that has a 3 p.m. release time every day and does not offer aftercare is immediately inaccessible to families whose caregivers do not get out of work at that time. An overnight camp that has a Friday afternoon dismissal–but is about three hours from most participants' hometowns–results in a conflict for many working parents.
Programs provide a lot of wonderful things for kids, but if we’re being completely honest, it’s also essential childcare for parents and guardians. Make sure your program’s hours are friendly for working caregivers.
If your program schedule is inflexible, think about ways you can make the burden on caregivers a bit easier. For example, Project Kindred, a non-profit in Milwaukee that offers an overnight camp, has a Friday night dismissal–but they also offer dinner for families at pickup. Sometimes local restaurants even donate the meal!
Provide Transportation
Offer a bus to your program and select a bus stop that is close to public transit. Often transportation challenges are a final and sometimes even last-minute barrier when many kids are trying to get to programs. And, all sorts of families will be grateful for the transportation option, as it saves time (and, some might say, the bus ride itself is an essential part of the experience!).
If you open bus transportation up to families that can afford the full price, as well as families who have a scholarship plan, you can use fees from the first set of families to subsidize the overall price. Just make sure you have plenty of staff on the bus to help connect with kids and make sure everyone is safe and comfortable.
When a kid wants to go to camps or classes, tuition can certainly be a barrier. But once that program tuition is paid, the child still has to have all of the gear; they and their caregivers have to understand the details about the camp; and they have to get to and from programs. If these additional essentials are taken care of by supplementary initiatives as described above, your programs will be significantly more accessible. Good luck!
