New Haven shifts summer camps into city parks, expands sessions and partnerships ahead of June 23 start

New Haven’s Youth & Recreation Department will start its summer camp season June 23 after changing locations, session formats and programming to boost access and enrollment, department Director Gwendolyn Williams told the City of New Haven Youth Services Committee on June 16.

The change matters because the department moved away from heavy reliance on school buildings after delays last year and placed most camps in park facilities and two schools this year to make drop-off easier for families, Williams said. Committee members heard updated registration figures (as of May 16), program schedules and outreach plans.

“This year we’re using all the parks buildings, and we’re using 2 schools,” Williams said, adding that the department pivoted when school access information came too late last year. Williams said the department is using Edgerton, Lighthouse Park, Cleveland Pavilion, Tronage at East Rock, Owen Field and Sound School, among other sites, and that Lighthouse has been the most popular location.

Williams gave a breakdown of age groups and session structure: tiny-tots (eligible beginning at kindergarten age who can use the bathroom, effectively age 5), ages 5–7, 8–10 and 11–13. The first three sessions run two weeks each beginning June 23; a fourth session is a single, half-price week. Regular camp hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and parents may pay a nominal fee for pre-care or after-care, Williams said. In the meeting transcript Williams stated a per-session cost of "$1.25." The department did not clarify during the presentation whether that figure reflected a typographical or transcription error.

The department also reported program changes: midnight basketball was closed this year for low enrollment and replaced with a Skills in the Park summer series that runs in the evenings, starting at 5 p.m. at Owen Field. Williams said the skills series will visit multiple sites across the city and include partners providing nutrition and health information.

Williams described partnerships and outreach as central to the plan. She thanked community partners and said the department will work with public schools, faith-based organizations, PALS (Police Activities League), and other local groups. She specifically thanked an organization called The Shack and said The Shack will host one site during the program run.

On registration and attendance, Williams said the data she presented reflected the latest registration as of May 16 and that numbers had increased since then. She warned that when programs are free, signups can be high but no-shows also increase: “If it’s always free, you always get a lot of people that sign up, but they may not show,” she said. Williams said the department needs robust participation data to justify funding and to plan staffing.

Williams also described internal budget and spending pressures, saying she had “spent every dime that’s needed” across accounts when asked about funding constraints and that the department faces a challenge to ensure funds are used effectively and documented for future support.

On staffing and employment, Williams discussed hiring for the summer roster and referenced hiring activity in the presentation. The transcript includes the remark that the department is “hiring 800 kids now”; the department did not provide additional detail in the meeting about whether that figure refers to staff hires, paid positions, seasonal workers or a different statistic.

Committee members offered verbal support during the public meeting; no formal motions or votes were taken on the summer program plans. The committee opened the floor to public comment at the end of the discussion. The department encouraged families to register and to contact the city with accessibility requests; the meeting agenda listed accessibility contacts and a public testimony email for written comments.

The Youth & Recreation Department plans to continue outreach and data collection through the start of programming on June 23 and during the six-week run of activities, and committee members asked staff to follow up with additional enrollment and participation numbers as they become available.