SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Friday the city’s summer camp program will begin June 15, although it will look a little different than it has in previous years.
Mayor Breed made the announcement during an online conversation with the heads of the city’s Recreation and Parks Department and Department of Children, Youth and Their Families.
The bottom line – parents will have a place to send their kids this summer.
“It’s super important for kids, first of all, to get outside and to re-engage. Yes, there will be indoor spaces but there will be a lot more emphasis on being outdoor this summer,” said Phil Ginsburg of S.F. Rec and Parks.
But due to the coronavirus pandemic, the camps will not look the same as previous years.
That’s because as a safety measure each child will be put in a group of 12 and stay in that so-called ‘pod’ for a three-week session.
“At Rec and Park, I know that we are planning over 25 different camps and we expect there to be another 40 or 50 different private camp providers operating in our park system,” Ginsburg said.
He also said they estimate nearly 100 nonprofit camp providers will operate within the city.
Among those nonprofits is the YMCA of San Francisco. But they will not be able to serve as many kids as they did in the past due to safety restrictions.
“The difference is last year we would have over 2,000 and this year we will hope to have over 200. We will serve fewer but also the most vulnerable children in our communities,” said Chuck Collins of YMCA San Francisco.
YMCA Camps will be more indoors than out with a focus on learning and helping kids catch up.
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