Settle a debate - - Is this wrong?

[Anonymous]

Imagine your child attends a half-day playground summer camp through your school district. Now imagine you only send your child sometimes. Some weeks they attend 5 days, some weeks only once. And only because you don’t feel like sending them for whatever reason. Was it wrong of you to have signed up your child and taken a spot for them when you aren’t utilizing the service fully?

[Anonymous]

Personally I don't think so. There aren't many part time options available for care for kids generally so you have to do what you have to do, sign up and pay and then use what you need

[Anonymous]

Its fine unless they have a waitlist and the program is designed to provide coverage for low income families.

[Anonymous]

It depends. Do you pay for the five days? Was there a wait list to attend?

I use to pay for full time day care in the summers -- to hold the spot. I would use it sometimes if I needed child care

[Anonymous]

If there are others waiting for spots, then yes.

[Anonymous]

So the same camp for the whole summer (like 10 weeks long)?

And the same activities/same place ?

Do you just drop-in/drop-out bc it gets boring for your kid (which is understandable)?

[Anonymous]

It’s a half-day camp, so the odds that anyone is using this as necessary childcare to allow them to earn a living is very low. Those people typically need full-day care so this camp would be useless. What you described in fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a half-day camp, so the odds that anyone is using this as necessary childcare to allow them to earn a living is very low. Those people typically need full-day care so this camp would be useless. What you described in fine.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a half-day camp, so the odds that anyone is using this as necessary childcare to allow them to earn a living is very low. Those people typically need full-day care so this camp would be useless. What you described in fine.

I agree with this.

[Anonymous]

You are making a big assumption. Affordable day camp here is very limited and it's often difficult to find an all day offering. A parent could enroll their child in a half day morning camp and this as the afternoon camp. If you are going away on vacation I think that's fine but if you are simply not sending your kid because you don't feel like it then yes you are wasting a space for another parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Imagine your child attends a half-day playground summer camp through your school district. Now imagine you only send your child sometimes. Some weeks they attend 5 days, some weeks only once. And only because you don’t feel like sending them for whatever reason. Was it wrong of you to have signed up your child and taken a spot for them when you aren’t utilizing the service fully?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are making a big assumption. Affordable day camp here is very limited and it's often difficult to find an all day offering. A parent could enroll their child in a half day morning camp and this as the afternoon camp. If you are going away on vacation I think that's fine but if you are simply not sending your kid because you don't feel like it then yes you are wasting a space for another parent.

That’s designed to let you off the hook - if a parent didn’t get a spot it doesn’t matter why.

[Anonymous]

I also think it's fine.

[Anonymous]

It’s completely and totally fine. If the camp wants to prioritize working or low income parents or anyone else, it can do so. If it’s first come, first served, then you aren’t doing anything wrong. This is like people who say you shouldn’t get a degree unless you want to work because you’re “taking someone else’s place.” Or people who think you shouldn’t work unless you need to (whatever that means, since different people define “need” differently), in case someone else “needs” that job more. All ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

NP. I think it's fine too.