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Recreation and Park Department programs, Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families programs, and other summer camps and programs can operate with modifications starting on June 15
San Francisco – Mayor London N. Breed announced May 22 that San Francisco’s summer camps and summer programs can reopen on June 15 with limited capacity and modifications intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a Health Order for summer camps and programs that is consistent with the statewide guidelines.
Under the Health Order issued by DPH, San Francisco summer camps and programs can open this summer for children and youth ages 6 to 17. The camps and programs are open to all children and youth in San Francisco.
Summer camps and programs must prioritize spaces for children of people who work in businesses and organizations that are allowed to operate under the Health Order, including children and youth of parents who are telecommuting for an allowable business. Camps and programs must also prioritize children and youth who need it the most, including low-income youth and those who are part of the most vulnerable populations.
In addition to allowing summer camps and programs to open, the order clarifies that child care programs may continue operating or reopen. The City’s emergency care for children ages zero to five will continue operating and will resume regular child care programming after June 1. The San Francisco health officer will continually review whether modifications to the Order are needed.
“We have worked hard to create a safe environment for kids to be kids this summer,” said Mayor Breed. “Children need to be able get outside and have fun while their parents know they are safe. While summer camps and programs will look different this year than they have in the past, it will provide relief for some parents and give their children the opportunity to play and spend time with other kids their age.”
“Summer is a magical time for children and we are ensuring our city’s kids have safe, fun, healthy ways to get out and play.”
The order applies to public and private camps and summer programs and includes safety measures such as temperature screenings and enhanced cleaning. The City will allow summer camps and programs serving children to begin operating on June 15 through Aug. 17. Individual summer sessions are required to last a minimum of three weeks in duration to minimize co-mingling of children. Camps and programs can choose to run a session that is longer than three weeks. Summer camps and programs will serve distinct groups of up to 12 program participants with the same pod of children and staff.
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department will operate three camp sessions this summer, from June 15 through July 2, July 6 through July 24, and July 27 through Aug. 14. Summer programs funded by the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) will be able to provide programming from June 15 through Aug. 17.
“Summer is a magical time for children and we are thrilled that the joy can continue this summer,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “We deeply appreciate the mayor’s leadership and commitment to ensuring our city’s kids have safe, fun, healthy ways to get out and play.”
“Our much anticipated summer is here,” said Maria Su, DCYF executive director. “We are deeply committed to ensuring that children and youth, particularly those from working and low income families, have enriching, safe and fun activities to participate in this summer.”
Summer camps and program will replace the Emergency Child and Youth Care program operated by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, DCYF and community-based organizations, which will end June 5. A transition time between the end of the Emergency Child and Youth Care program and the beginning of the summer camps and programs is necessary to make sure staff are appropriately trained and that facilities are cleaned so that camps can operate in a healthy and safe manner.
The City’s Emergency Child and Youth Care program provided free care for the children of first responders, healthcare workers and essential City employees on the front lines of the City’s COVID-19 response. Over 50 sites provided free healthy meals and snacks, early drop off and extended hours, support for distance learning, and safe and clean facilities per Department of Public Health guidelines.
Visit dcyf.org/care for more information. Public and private service providers interested in activating summer programming will be required to review the Health Order and guidelines to learn how to safely open and operate for in-person programming and complete a form certifying their compliance.
Families who are interested in enrolling their children in summer camps and programs or who have questions about their eligibility can find more information on this page. The Recreation and Park Department will open registration for their lottery on May 26 at http://sfrecpark.org/register.
