In England, Kishon Roberts spends her days checking Twitter for policy updates and emailing the U.S. Embassy in London for the status of a visa application that’s key to her camp counselor job this summer in the United States.
Two hours north of New York City, Roberts’ would-be workplace, Camp Pontiac, is preparing to open June 26.
It’s unclear whether Roberts, 18, will make it there in time. And some camp leaders are worried they won’t be able to offer a full slate of youth programs due to a shortage of foreign, seasonal staff this year.
American summer camps are up against the same staffing crunch plaguing other employers seeking lower-wage workers, but with a lingering pandemic twist. Many camps rely on foreign workers who come on temporary, cultural-exchange visas. Because of processing holdups and a COVID-19-related travel ban on certain countries, those workers aren’t coming.
The staffing woes are complicating what would otherwise be a booming year for summer camps. With the pandemic on the wane in the U.S., families are eager to send their children to in-person opportunities again – and many have the money to do it, after a year of saving on activities.
There’s also new federal money in the pipeline to support sending more children to summer learning experiences. And parents are looking for a break after 15 months hunkered down with their children.
New look for summer school:Day camps, paying teens to study. Will new programs help kids catch up?
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