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The
bottom line about camp costs is that there's
a camp for just about every budget. Fees
range from $75 to more than $650 per week
for ACA-accredited resident and day camps.
Assistance offered from camps:
- Camps offer special discounts—for
everything from early registration, full-season,
or multiple enrollments from one family. For
instance, more than 30% of camps award
more than $10,000 in discounts annually.
- Many camps offer "camperships"—partial
or total scholarships and financial assistance.
Parents shouldn't assume their income
doesn't qualify. In
fact, 90% of camps report offering financial
assistance, and 52% of camps award
$10,000 or more in scholarships annually.
Assistance offered from the U.S. government:
- Parents should inquire into whether
the camp participates in income-eligible
subsidy programs, for instance through Title
XX.
- A Dependent Care Flexible Spending
Account allows parents to be reimbursed
on a pre-tax basis for child care or
adult dependent care expenses for qualified
dependents that are necessary to allow
parents to work, look for work, or to
attend school full time. Visit
the FSA Feds Web site for more information.
- In certain circumstances, day care
expenses, including transportation by
a care provider, may be considered dependent
care services and paid with pre-tax dollars. Visit
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for
more information.
- Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit:
The IRS allows an income tax credit of
up to $6,000 of dependent care expenses
if you have two or more dependents (up
to $3,000 for one dependent). The amount
of the credit is based on your adjusted
gross income and applies only to your
federal taxes. This applies to qualifying
day camp expenses as well. Visit
the FSA Feds Web site for more information.
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