NJ Human Services Plans Grant Funds for Youth Summer Camps

TRENTON – Human Services Acting Commissioner Sarah Adelman June 14 announced that $15 million in grants will be available for summer youth camps to help them meet health and safety protocols and provide financial assistance to eligible families.
“As the public health situation improves, we are looking forward to an active summer, especially for our children,” Adelman stated. “Attending a summer camp is a great tradition that brings many positive experiences and benefits – along with great memories. We’ll help summer camps stay open and safe, while assisting eligible families to help their children attend a camp.”
“We’ve taken many steps throughout the pandemic to help child care providers stay open while helping families afford care and handle remote schooling, and these summer camp grants are the next step in our ongoing effort,” Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira stated. “We will be helping children enjoy summer safely while providing a boost to our economy by assisting a vital summer service. We’ll also continue helping child care providers in as many ways as we can.”
According to a release, about 1,000 summer youth camp providers are eligible to apply for the funding. The camps must be registered and approved by the Department of Health for the 2021 summer camp season and be open and operating an on-site program. They must also comply with local, state and federal health and safety requirements.
The $15 million grant program will provide two types of grants to eligible summer youth camps to cover Covid-related costs and to assist families paying for summer camp.
· Covid Support Grant: Funds for Covid-related costs and activities, such as meeting health and safety protocols, buying PPE supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, air purification, ventilation, testing and touchless equipment, and making minor repairs and modifications.
· Summer Youth Camp Financial Assistance Grant: Funds to offer financial assistance to families not eligible for the subsidy program with annual household incomes up to $100,000 to help cover the cost of summer camp of up to $640 a month.
Grant amounts are as follows:
Summer youth camp providers interested in the financial assistance grant will be responsible for managing the application approval and financial assistance awards for eligible families, while Human Services’ Division of Family Development will provide the application and requirement instructions. Camp providers receiving these grants should make potentially eligible families aware of this assistance.
Help paying for summer camp is available for eligible families with low income who are working, attending school, or in employment training through the Child Care Subsidy Program. 
To learn more and see if you are eligible, visit [ChildCareNJ.gov]ChildCareNJ.gov.
More information will become available soon on ChildCareNJ.gov, and grant applications will become available the week of June 21, through the New Jersey Child Care Information System (NJCCIS). Additional opportunities for camp financial aid and one-to-one support for children with developmental disabilities are available through the Department of Children and Families’ Children’s System of Care found here.