Summer vacation can be a difficult time for working parents, when school is out and childcare options are limited.
Charlene Bright is the owner of CNY Childcare Services and takes care of children in her daycare throughout the school year.
But in recent years, she said she noticed a troubling trend.
"Parents were reaching out to me because they weren't able to find adequate summer programs that were affordable for them," Bright said.
Bright said staff ratios, waitlists, and high costs are some of the roadblocks families are facing.
And she said while some childcare facilities in the city of Syracuse are getting additional government funding, families in suburban areas may not have access to those options.
So last summer, Bright decided to do something about it. She created a free summer camp for two children and funded it herself. This summer, she hopes to watch even more children from the Jamesville-DeWitt and Fayetteville-Manlius communities and give them a full summer camp experience.
"We go to the museum, the library, the zoo, the park, the theater, the police and fire department. We also do a lot of outdoor and indoor play,” she said.
CNY Childcare Services is still accepting applications for the program, which runs on week days from July 6- August 28.
Bright hopes to continue the camp in future years, and she encourages everyone in the community to keep speaking out about the need for safe, affordable care for every child.
"Now today, it's a passion of mine, and I just think every child should be treated fairly and equal, and I just think that with all this cost involved, childcare is so expensive. Childcare is a basic need,” she said.
