Child Care, All-Day Camps Resume July 6 in Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Starting July 6, Howard County Recreation & Parks will begin childcare services, including all-day camps, in eight Howard County Public School System buildings. The recreation and parks department traditionally has provided all-day and half-day camps during the summer months at HCPSS buildings. In addition to childcare camps, the department will resume indoor camps at their community centers, historic sites, nature center, athletic complex and smaller county-owned facilities also on July 6.

“Summer childcare is essential for our residents and families, and we appreciate the patience as our teams worked to make these services safe to open,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “Recreation & Parks and HCPSS have been working diligently and thoughtfully adjusting camps, including reducing group sizes and implementing safety procedures, to ensure that these options are accessible for families this summer.”

Starting July 6:

• Mini Scholars Camp | Preschoolers
  * Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  * Dayton Oaks Elementary
• Summer Blast Camp | Elementary schoolers
  * Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  * Bushy Park, Elkridge, Forest Ridge, Fulton, Hanover Hills, Hollifield and Veterans Elementary
• Teen Blast Camp | Middle schoolers
  * Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  * Thomas Viaduct Middle

“Childcare is an essential service and I am pleased that we were able to work with the County to ensure that the Department of Recreation and Parks will be able to use our school buildings to provide this service for our residents as well as offer enrichment activities through its summer programs,” said Michael Martirano, HCPSS superintendent.

Indoor camps also will resume on July 6 and includes sports-specific camps, LEGO®-themes, cooking, science, circus, nature, magic and art. Summer camps were reorganized to follow CDC guidelines around coronavirus, which includes reducing group sizes and implementing new safety procedures. To view available camps, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/rap. The list of camps that are open for registration increases weekly as more camps adapt to the new regulations.