Commentary: How to fix the summer child care gap

Credit: Getty Images.For the first time since school let out three months ago, millions of parents are breathing easier, because summer is synonymous with no child care. It is a season of scrambling to find safe, affordable care while juggling work and rising household costs. America has spent decades debating what affordable child care means during the school year. Yet every summer, we accept that millions of working families lose access to reliable care when school lets out. As another school year begins, now is the time for policymakers to decide what they are going to do differently next summer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As CEO of The Fresh Air Fund, which has provided free summer activities to underserved New York City children for nearly 150 years, I am acutely aware that summer camp is yet another time the opportunity gap widens. The pressure on parents to provide safe, affordable places where their children can learn, make friends, stay active and be cared for while the grown-ups go to work is immense. A new national survey found that parents of nearly 25 million children want their kids to participate in structured summer programs, yet 51% of those children do not participate. Affordability is the most significant barrier, particularly for low-and middle-income families. Too many families must choose from an unappetizing menu: Patch together child care, reduce work hours, rely on relatives or leave older siblings in charge. Summer camp is not a luxury for working parents. It is an essential public service. Yet federal policy doesn't recognize summer camp that way. High-quality camps provide supervision, meals, academic enrichment, outdoor recreation, mental health benefits, caring adult mentors and opportunities for children to build confidence and independence. They support working parents while helping their children return to school better prepared socially, emotionally and academically. Advertisement Article continues below this ad These are clear public benefits, and Congress has an opportunity to rethink how we define child care and support children during the months when school is out. The bipartisan Summer for All Act blazes a trail forward. The legislation would invest $4 billion over four years, and $1 billion annually thereafter, to help expand access to high-quality summer enrichment nationwide. The proposal would strengthen community-based organizations that provide free summer programming and transportation for low-income families, encourage coordination between schools and nonprofit providers, expand access in underserved and rural communities and help states identify where the greatest gaps exist so they can build sustainable solutions. It recognizes that summer learning, outdoor education and safe child care aren't separate priorities. They are interconnected investments in children's success — investments that are worth making year round. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Keep up with the latest editorials, commentary and letters to the editor about the issues that matter to you. Sign up here Federal child care assistance should include accredited nonprofit summer camps. Funding that supports outdoor education and youth programming should be stabilized so organizations aren't forced to cancel programs months before children arrive. School districts, nonprofit camps and community organizations can work together to reach the students who benefit most from no-cost to low-cost summer programs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Summer camp registration season begins in November. We have only a few months to act before millions of parents will once again ask the same question: Who will care for my child next summer? Lisa Gitelson is the chief executive officer of The Fresh Air Fund, which operates six sleepaway camps in the Mid-Hudson Valley.