DPR Camp "mean" counselors

[Anonymous]

I'm delighted with my kids' DPR camp. It seems safe, clean, quiet, full of interesting crafts, well-organized, water bottles don't go missing, their playground is great.
My kids are not happy with their camp. They say the counselors are constantly yelling at them, for unimportant things. My 6 yo shyly told me - started to tell me, and I had to beg and bribe for her to finish telling me - that her counselor today told her to stop asking stupid questions. She used the word stupid.

Would you talk to the counselors themselves? Write to DPR? Call someone at DPR? Is it a lost cause?

[Anonymous]

We've only done one two-week stint at a DPR camp. I decided it was not worth its low, low cost, primarily because of the horrible staff.

I don't know if it's a lost cause or not, but you definitely won't get a change before the camp is over. I wrote an email to someone higher up in DPR and got a somewhat rude reply that left me with the impression that the writer felt I could not afford to make unreasonable demands like childcare providers who don't yell at children. They're not worried one bit about demand.

[Anonymous]

A $300/week/kid for 2 kids, which is on the low-end especially if you need before/after-care, is more than my take-home salary.

If I moved to a DC suburb, do Northern VA cities offer an affordable equivalent to DPR camps where staff is slightly better educated/supervised and less likely to be verbally abusive to children?

[Anonymous]

Is this DC DPR, or one of the suburban ones? I would not bother with DC DPR based on my experiences interacting with that department.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A $300/week/kid for 2 kids, which is on the low-end especially if you need before/after-care, is more than my take-home salary.

If I moved to a DC suburb, do Northern VA cities offer an affordable equivalent to DPR camps where staff is slightly better educated/supervised and less likely to be verbally abusive to children?

Nope.

We are in Alexandria City and have two equivalent camps and the counsellors are the same kind. Lots of yelling, little prep to work with kids, bring their poor habits regarding disciple with them from home - talk in lots of slang and threatening. Happened at both the Rec camps and Campagna camp which is non profit run.

[Anonymous]

I've heard Montgomery County camps are pretty decent and reasonably priced for non-residents. Actually, the camp I've heard most about is Takoma. The only reason I haven't looked into it is that it's in the opposite direction of our work commutes.

[Anonymous]

A $300/week/kid for 2 kids, which is on the low-end especially if you need before/after-care, is more than my take-home salary.

If I moved to a DC suburb, do Northern VA cities offer an affordable equivalent to DPR camps where staff is slightly better educated/supervised and less likely to be verbally abusive to children?



Nope.

We are in Alexandria City and have two equivalent camps and the counsellors are the same kind. Lots of yelling, little prep to work with kids, bring their poor habits regarding disciple with them from home - talk in lots of slang and threatening. Happened at both the Rec camps and Campagna camp which is non profit run

NP. Just to clarify, we have not done the cheaper city of Alexandria camps (the Power On and cheaper sports camps). But we have done the Silver Knights chess camp and Hoop Life Basketball camps through the city, and my kids liked those camps and thought the counselors were nice. My son does the Campagna afterschool program, and while some of the staff use slang, they don't curse and have never threatened him. I've only seen staff raise their voices at a kid once, and that kid's behavior at the time was appalling - he was being rough to another kid.

[Anonymous]

A little late for this year, but for next year, browse some of the camps listed at dance, gymnastics and martial arts studios on the 2017 camp experiences thread in this section.

Then, keep an eye on Certifikid deals on those particular camps. Often you can catch a great deal on these places in January, again in mid spring, and then once early June hits. By good deal, I mean in the $150 to $200 per week range.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A $300/week/kid for 2 kids, which is on the low-end especially if you need before/after-care, is more than my take-home salary.

If I moved to a DC suburb, do Northern VA cities offer an affordable equivalent to DPR camps where staff is slightly better educated/supervised and less likely to be verbally abusive to children?

Nope.

We are in Alexandria City and have two equivalent camps and the counsellors are the same kind. Lots of yelling, little prep to work with kids, bring their poor habits regarding disciple with them from home - talk in lots of slang and threatening. Happened at both the Rec camps and Campagna camp which is non profit run.

Same shocking experience here in Montgomery County. Could not believe these people are allowed in childcare. So much verbal abuse, threats.

[Anonymous]

You get what you pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A $300/week/kid for 2 kids, which is on the low-end especially if you need before/after-care, is more than my take-home salary.

If I moved to a DC suburb, do Northern VA cities offer an affordable equivalent to DPR camps where staff is slightly better educated/supervised and less likely to be verbally abusive to children?

There's the y in Arlington where your kid will be ignored... better than verbal abuse. I guess.

[Anonymous]

Then don't have kids you cannot afford. Those little buggers are expensive!

[Anonymous]

We are having a good DPR little explorers experience. We're at a location with staff whom I've only observed behaving appropriately in terms of language and tone, including the summer job teenagers who run around the playground with the kids every morning. They have crafts every day, hold special events for the kids, take trips to the pool/museums, and use the great playground (including splash park). I could do without the movies but only BC my kid doesn't really like movies, and I totally get it for insanely hot or rainy afternoons. We're paying $500 for a whole summer. I appreciate that this option is available for a family like ours that's not high income. Signing up is stressful but if you stalk the site spots do open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A $300/week/kid for 2 kids, which is on the low-end especially if you need before/after-care, is more than my take-home salary.

If I moved to a DC suburb, do Northern VA cities offer an affordable equivalent to DPR camps where staff is slightly better educated/supervised and less likely to be verbally abusive to children?

In VA, and some locations are very close to DC, you can really get a great quality and most of all nurturing and positive environment for the same cost of slight more. It's so worth it! Most think that private camps are out of their reach but I'm very surprised to see how expensive DPR and Parktakes camps are these days!
A lot of times, you can also discuss price discounts if they have spots that need to be filed.
I was just speaking to a friend who sent her son to Lee Rec camp and did say that it was disturbing in terms of counselors and the other kids' behavior which was out of control.
Shop for camps early or last minute to score big discounts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then don't have kids you cannot afford. Those little buggers are expensive!

Yeah she should just un-have them. Also, everyone knows people's financial situations never change for the worse after they have kids.