New Castle County highlights summer-camp expansion, PAL partnership and scholarship needs

Carly Thompson, Community Services Manager for New Castle County, presented the county’s summer-camp program to the Community Services Committee, outlining program types, participation and financial-aid figures and a new partnership with the Police Athletic League of Delaware.

Thompson said the department’s camps provide "safe, structured, enriching environments for youth throughout Newcastle County," offering full-day and half-day options, sports, arts and Safety Town programming across multiple sites to reduce transportation barriers and increase geographic access. She reported that in the most recent season full-day camps served 444 children over eight weeks and that 102 participants received financial assistance; 26% of financial-aid awards — just over $27,000 — supported youth at the Route 9 camp location. Thompson said full-day camps are priced at $160 per week.

The department will expand programming through a partnership with the Police Athletic League (PAL). Senior Lieutenant Angela Dolan, identified in the transcript as serving with the New Castle County Division of Police and as the interim executive director of the Police Athletic League of Delaware, said the collaboration will enable shared staffing, facilities and operational support to increase capacity and maintain affordability. Dolan emphasized the continued need for scholarship funding: "Sponsorship support ensures that children are not turned away because of financial hardships," she said, noting Garfield Park youth in particular rely on financial assistance.

Committee members asked several practical questions. One council member confirmed that all full-day camps follow the same basic schedule across sites; Thompson said sports camps differ in content but that the full-day schedule is consistent. On transportation, Thompson said the county does not provide transportation between camp locations. A separate council member requested promotional graphics for social media; Thompson agreed to share materials for council members to distribute to constituents.

Why it matters: the county’s summer-camp network serves hundreds of children and provides both child care alternatives for working families and enrichment services. The PAL partnership is intended to increase capacity and reduce duplication across providers, but staff said sustaining or increasing scholarship funding is essential to ensure access for low-income families.

Next steps and context: staff will share program materials for council outreach; the transcript records praise from council members for the department and police involvement. No committee vote or policy change regarding camps was taken at the meeting.

Representative quotes from the meeting include Thompson’s description of the program’s goals and Dolan’s appeal for sponsorships to support scholarship participants.