PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County parents have until midnight Friday to apply for a summer camp scholarship through the Youth Services Department.
Elisa Cramer is the interim director at the Palm Beach County Youth Services Department.
"It is critical that children have a safe place during the summer. We know that parents are looking for those safe options," she said. "They want the supervision for their children, they don't want their kids to experience the summer slide academically."
Cramer said the county expects to offer about 4,000 scholarships to qualifying families with children ages 5 to 17. The county works with more than 75 different summer camp locations to make sure every family who receives a scholarship finds the right fit.
"You are eligible if you are up to 185% of the poverty level which for a family of 4, it is $57,000 to $58,000 a year," Cramer said.
Camp is one cost, but childcare year-round is another thing entirely. A new study from LendingTree, an online loan marketplace, looks at just how much parents are spending on childcare itself. The report showed families pay close to 20% of their income. In Florida, that number is about 16%.
"There are a lot of people out there essentially working to pay childcare and that's a tough situation to be in," Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree, said.
He said some parents are considering whether to even return to the workforce or stay home with their kids. Schulz said if you don't have family or friends who can help care for your kids, be sure to explore all options.
"The more you can do to shop around, to compare costs, but also to really dive into what that place has to offer and where you might get the most value for that money," he said.
Mom of three Brie Mazin said it was a huge relief this year to have all of her kids in elementary school and to be done with childcare payments.
"We had a huge celebration. Three years of day care, times three children and that is the cost of a house," she said.
Mazin said her family can now budget better for other experiences, like summer camp.
"We're using the money that we're saving from daycare, so we can at least put it into that, so they can have two months of fun," she said,
If you think you may qualify for the Palm Beach County scholarship, you can check your eligibility here.