As many working class parents prepare go back to their jobs, they are also deciding not to send their kids to summer camps, out of lingering pandemic fears.
What’s to be done with 8 and 9‑year-olds confined to the house?
Provide an infusion of board games? Books? How about community-organized treasure hunts to pry them safely away from their screens?
That pressing Covid-19 pandemic challenge was the centerpiece of the the Dixwell Community Management Team’s monthly meeting, which was convened and hosted Thursday evening Chairwoman Nina Silva via conference call.
The gathering drew about a dozen neighbors and community leaders including ‘r kids Family Center’s social case work manager Steve Ingram, who broached the issue.
Ingram’s focus was mainly on the children and families in and out of foster care, whom ‘r kids Family Center supports. The discussion expanded rapidly to address all the neighborhood kids, many of whom will likely be spending a camp-less summer.
“Our parents are emphasizing to us they’re not going to let their kids go to any summer program [out of Covid concerns]. That’s alarming,” Ingram said.
“What can we do to provide a service in the Dixwell community? Should we buy crayons, chalk and bring it to kids kept at home? Our concern is these kids won’t be in structured programs and DCF [state Department of Children and Families] will be involved again.
“How can we handle this crisis? We do know the Boys & Girls Club will be open, and we’d pay for it, but the parents are saying no. What should we do?”
An unidentified team member asked Ingram to explain what he meant by his DCF-involvement remark.
“If mom and dad are working, and kids are at home,” they might get in trouble, he responded.
“I have five families at the St. Martin’s Townhouses, and they said they’re not letting their kids go even across the street.”
“It is concerning,” Silva agreed. “We’ll put our minds together to alleviate that. We probably won’t let our kids go [to camp], probably, either. But if we all collectively can get more games and bring, maybe give them more books.I have some ideas.”
Ingram suggested forming a CMT subcommittee. Silva volunteered to participate.
Ingram noted that under law kids can’t be left alone until 8 or 9 years old. At that point, “we’ve got to give them something to do if they’re not going to camp. So we need to provide them with board games, coloring books, so kids even at 10 or 11 can entertain themselves. Parents probably said they can’t go out of house, [but] in hot weather, they’ll sneak out and do things, crazy stuff. Even my parents from St. Martin’s. They’re good parents but they have to work. I don’t know what but we have to be proactive.”
Silva also recommended organized outdoor activities to get kids off computers.
The city does plan to have some day camp options starting on July 13. Roxanne Condon spoke of the need for counselors to get training in dealing with Covid-19. Yale’s Karen King suggested tapping a nonprofit fund set up by the university to help with basic needs.
It's going to be a really hard summer for young people left unattended at home when parents have to go back to work to survive, and they don't feel it's safe nor can they afford for the children to go to summer programs or camps. Maybe the city library system can do online virtual summer camps for children alongside the school system and the cities and towns youth programs?