City to permit summer camps, though ‘a lot has changed’

San Francisco summer camps will be allowed to open in June, but officials warn that camps will be different than in years past.

Mayor London Breed announced city, nonprofit and private camps can open by June 15 but must follow a new city public health order to operate. The mayor was joined Friday by Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsberg and the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families Executive Director Maria Due.

Breed said during a teleconference:

“There are going to be a lot of changes. It won’t be like the summer we’re used to, like the summer last year where we had programs with tons of kids who were able to move along around The City. A lot has changed.”

Ginsburg laid out some of the guidelines that all camps citywide must follow, including having children in camps stay in the same group or “pod” for a minimum of three weeks. Staff in charge of a pod will also stay in the same group for a three-week period.

He said Rec and Park will provide three three-week sessions from June 15 through July 2, June 15 through July 2, July 6 through July 24 and July 27 through August 14,

Ginsburg said: 

“We are going to prioritize kids of parents who are working in essential businesses, who are part of The City’s response, who are in allowable businesses and quite frankly the kids who need us the most right now.”

Sue said another 100 camps will be made available through nonprofit partners with DYCF with the possibility teenagers can apply for paid summer internships.

The mayor added that teenagers are sometimes left out of summer programs and wants them to be productive during the season as well.

Seeing teenage hires as a good way to add required staff, Ginsburg said:

“We highly recommend that private camp providers hire teenagers to help and provide some support in making sure that your camps operate safely and smoothly.”

Rec and Park expects to hire 200 teens this summer, Ginsburg said.

Guardians can register their kids at http://sfrecpark.org/register for camps operated by The City. Ginsburg said May 26 priority registration will be given to children currently enrolled in The City’s emergency childcare and scholarship programs. Registration will open citywide on June 6.

More information about alternative camps can be found at http://www.dcyf.org/care.

The public can also call 311 for further detail about summer camp programs.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.