June 25, 2020
Media Contact:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
Anna Hunter, Marketing and Public Information Superintendent, Howard County Recreation & Parks, 410-313-4686.
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Recreation & Parks (HCRP) will begin childcare services, including all-day camps, in nine Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) buildings on July 6th. HCRP has traditionally provided all-day and half-day camps during the summer months at HCPSS buildings. In addition to childcare camps, HCRP will resume indoor camps at their community centers, historic sites, nature center, athletic complex, and smaller county-owned facilities on July 6th.
“Summer childcare is essential for our residents and families, and we appreciate the patience as our teams worked to make these services safe to open,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “Recreation & Parks and HCPSS have been working diligently and thoughtfully adjusting camps, including reducing group sizes and implementing safety procedures, to ensure that these options are accessible for families this summer.”
Starting Monday, July 6th:
• Mini Scholars Camp | Preschoolers
o Monday – Friday 8:30 am. – 4:30 p.m.
o Dayton Oaks Elementary
• Summer Blast Camp | Elementary schoolers
o Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
o Bushy Park, Elkridge, Forest Ridge, Fulton, Hanover Hills, Hollifield and Veterans Elementary
• Teen Blast Camp | Middle schoolers
o Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
o Thomas Viaduct Middle
“I want to thank County Executive Ball, Superintendent Martirano, and Bruce Gist for working with us to provide affordable, all-day care for children this summer,” stated Recreation & Parks Director Raul Delerme. "During a typical summer, the department enrolls about 4,500 children in summer childcare camps held in Howard County Public Schools. Due to a late start and reduced camp size, we hope to serve at least 2,000 children this summer.”
“Childcare is an essential service and I am pleased that we were able to work with the County to ensure that the Department of Recreation and Parks will be able to use our school buildings to provide this service for our residents as well as offer enrichment activities through its summer programs,” said Dr. Michael Martirano, HCPSS Superintendent.
Indoor camps will also resume on July 6th and include sports-specific camps, LEGO®-themes, cooking, science, circus, nature, magic, and art. Summer camps were reorganized to follow CDC guidelines around COVID-19, this includes reducing group sizes and implementing new safety procedures. To view available camps please visit www.howardcountymd.gov/rap. The list of camps that are open for registration increases weekly as more camps adapt to the new regulations.