It’s August, and for a kid that means one of two things: Summer is done or almost over.
For some parents, the financial burden of summer child care is just getting started.
Child care is one of the biggest costs for some families in the U.S., where the cost of child care for two kids has eclipsed the cost of rent in all 50 states. During the summer months, worries about child care and kids’ access to meals regularly provided at school tend to escalate. A growing number of parents are taking on debt to cover the cost of summer child care, camps and other activities, a new study found. Other parents who can afford it still feel the stress of finding summer child care, as slots for camps and summer schools fill up long before summer begins.
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“This is not a new problem,” said Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at LendingTree. “Summer camp has been expensive for a long time, and it’s only getting more so.”
Two-thirds of parents who need summer child care say they struggle to afford it, and 62% of parents go into debt to cover summer child care, camps and activities, according to a recent survey of more than 600 parents conducted by LendingTree, an online lending marketplace. Parents in the survey said they spend almost $900 per child on summer care, and nearly half said they cut back on other expenses like dining out and entertainment to offset the cost.
Most parents said they wish they could enroll their kids in more summer programs, but costs are prohibitive. Less than half of respondents said their children got tuition assistance, and 26% said affordable options for summer child care aren’t available where they live.
SoLo Funds, a money lending company, saw child care loan requests dramatically increase this year, more so than in any other request category (other categories include bills, car-related, emergency, groceries and food, rent, gas and medical/dental).
“It’s tough because as much as you try to reduce costs − and there are things that you can do − child care isn’t something that you can cancel like a Netflix subscription,” Schulz said. “You have to make sacrifices and you have to figure out what you’re going to do.”
Here are some tips for parents already thinking about how to prepare for next summer.
Save during the school year
It might sound simple, but the best way to avoid summer camp debt is to save during the rest of the year, Schulz said. Even if parents can’t save enough to cover the total cost of summer child care, they’ll be able to minimize their debt.
Putting any amount of money from each paycheck into a high-yield savings account dedicated to summer child care expenses is a great place to start, he said.
If you can’t save, then plan and adjust
Expenses are seasonal, said SoLo Funds co-founder, Rodney Williams. And summer is always a time when costs rise. But for many consumers, saving during the school year isn’t an option.
“When your expenses are at your income, you don’t have the luxury to save,” Williams said. “You can plan. You can adjust. But you can’t really save.”
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These families should focus on reducing expenses instead of saving money, he said. After reducing expenses, if there is money left over, that excess cash can be used to plan for the summer months.
Ask for financial assistance
When browsing summer camp options, Schulz said, don’t let the sticker price fool you. It never hurts to ask if there is financial assistance or scholarships available.
“There’s no guarantees but it certainly can’t hurt,” Schulz said.
It’s always good practice to advocate for yourself in order to save some cash, he said.
There are also national and local summer camp programs that are free or provide scholarships for families in need. The Breakthrough Collaborative, a program dedicated to helping marginalized students get ready for college, has summer programming in 25 cities across the country. The Salvation Army also provides free summer camps for kids from low-income households. The American Camp Association has information about 20,000 camps and summer programs nationwide that range from less than $100 to more than $1,500 per week. The association also provides resources about applying for scholarships on its website.
Manage your financial stress, find community
Parenting can be difficult, and financial stress doesn’t help, said Karishma Patel Buford, chief people officer at Spring Health, a global mental health provider.
Working parents, especially, juggle a lot, Buford said. These parents need to make sure they take care of themselves first so they can take care of their families. Anxiety can manifest in the workplace through difficulty focusing, lost productivity and reduced engagement. It can also lead to physical symptoms, Buford said.
Buford suggests reaching out to other parents in your community or at your workplace to build a community of people who understand the financial stress of parenthood, and who can share suggestions and resources. Many employers offer parent resources and financial counseling, she said, so be sure to ask about those benefits, too.
If you have a little debt, that’s OK
Of the parents in the LendingTree survey who took on debt to cover summer child care costs, 26% took 6-12 months to pay it off and 16% needed longer.
Still, 91% of respondents said it’s important for their kids to have engaging summer activities and that it’s worth the cost.
Summer camp memories “can be really, really invaluable,” Schulz said.
“I think a lot of people would consider this type of debt ‘good debt,'” he said. “Assuming that it’s done in moderation.”
Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Reach Madeline at memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ on X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Summer is over. But paying for summer camp? Not even close for some.
