Childcare doesn't magically disappear in July, but your budget might if you haven't planned for camp fees.
Summer camps in Canada now cost between $100 and $700 per week, per child. That's potentially $2,800 for one kid over a two-month break, or more than many families spend on groceries all year. Yet somehow this massive expense sneaks up on parents every single May like a financial ambush.
The math is brutal for average earners. A family with two kids facing $1,000 weekly camp costs is looking at $8,000 for summer childcare. That's after-tax dollars, meaning you need to earn roughly $11,000 gross to cover it. Meanwhile, your regular daycare provider is off enjoying their own summer break.
This isn't just about camps being expensive—it's about Canada's childcare gap. School ends in June, parents still work in June, and somehow we're all supposed to figure it out. Smart families start planning in February, not May, because the cheaper options fill up fast.
What You Can Actually Do Today
- Check your municipality's website this week—many run subsidized day camps that cost $50-150 per week but fill up by March
- Call three local camps now to get on waitlists and compare pricing for next summer, even if this year is already sorted
- Open a separate savings account and start putting away $200 monthly starting in September for next year's summer costs
Camp costs vary wildly by region and program type. Check local options and subsidy programs early.
