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Five
Reasons Why Camp is Affordable for
Nearly Every Budget
MARTINSVILLE, IN (April 24, 2007) –The
bottom line about camp costs is that there
is a camp to fit nearly every budget. Many
families may miss out on the camp experience
for their children because they aren't
aware of the options available to them.
The American
Camp Association believes that every
child deserves a camp experience, and as
a nonprofit, charitable organization, we
are happy to share information about camp
trends and costs to families who are seeking
a camp experience for their children.
Families can find a camp that fits their
budget by following the five tips below:
- Ask the camp what
financial assistance is available. Families should never assume
that their family income doesn't qualify.
In fact, 90 percent of camps offer some
sort of financial assistance to families,
usually in the form of "camper-ships" or
special discounts – for everything
from early registration, full-season,
or multiple enrollments from one family.
- ACA can help! The ACA family-dedicated
Web site, www.CampParents.org contains
not only expert advice from camp
professionals and child development experts,
but it also contains the 'Find A Camp'
searchable database. Families can
search for a camp by cost, location,
special needs, special activity, length,
among other options!
- Day camp can be
tax free. In certain
circumstances, day care or day camp expenses,
including transportation by a care provider,
may be considered dependent care services
and paid with pre-tax dollars. Visit
the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) for more information.
- Dependent Care
Flexible Spending Account allows parents to be reimbursed on a
pre-tax basis for child care or adult
dependent care expenses for qualified
dependents that are necessary to allow
parents to work, look for work, or to
attend school full time. Visit the FSA
Feds Web site for more information.
- Child and Dependent
Care Tax Credit:
The IRS allows an income tax credit of
up to $6,000 of dependent care expenses
if you have two or more dependents (up
to $3,000 for one dependent). The amount
of the credit is based on your adjusted
gross income and applies only to your
federal taxes. This applies to qualifying
day camp expenses as well. FSA
Feds Web site for more information.
As parents and families plan for summer
activities for their children, the American
Camp Association is a resource for all
information about camp—from the benefits
of camp and how to prepare a child
for camp, to choosing
a camp and what
to pack.
Please feel free to contact Public Relations
at 765.349.3317 or pr@ACAcamps.org for
an interview with an ACA
spokesperson or information and data
on camp
trends. Also, for customizable public
service announcements, story
ideas, article
reprints, including articles about
camp costs, and other media opportunities,
visit our Media
Center.
Check out last week's Tip
of the Week!
MEDIA CONTACT:
Public Relations, American Camp Association
765-349-3317; 765-342-8456, ext. 317
pr@ACAcamps.org
About ACA
The American Camp Association® (ACA) works to preserve, promote, and enhance
the camp experience for children and adults. ACA-Accredited® camp programs
ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally
challenging learning opportunities. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps
that meet up to 300 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org.
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