School’s out and the pressure’s on: How to plan for summer childcare costs

By the time the end of the school year nears, many parents have already spent months planning where to stick their kids for the summer.

“It really is January, February, when you have to start thinking about it,” says Erin Bury, mom to a toddler and kindergartner in Wellington, Ont.

“It’s kind of like, ‘Hey, you just spent a bunch of money on Christmas and you’re probably paying off that credit card, but you’ve got to worry about summer camp.'”

Far from being a much-needed respite for many working parents, summer often means a two-month childcare hole to be filled with camps, family vacations and various patchwork solutions. For those who didn’t snap up a spot before the holiday decorations were put away this year, there are still options available. And going forward, experts advise planning early, budgeting smartly and managing expectations.

For those wanting to nab in-demand spots early, “it’s almost a full-time job,” Bury says. She has friends who have set up spreadsheets to keep track of when each camp’s registration opens, when the camps run and how much they cost.

Bury, who is co-founder and CEO at estate planning firm Willful, says her eldest daughter was wait-listed for one camp, and just recently some spots opened up. Sometimes people’s plans change and they give up their spots, or camps bring on more staff so they can accommodate more kids.

That camp cost an affordable $105 a week, but prices can be much higher for ones with more bells and whistles.

On the other end of the spectrum, Bury booked a stint for her daughter at a local farm with animals and outdoor activities that serves “beautiful farm-to-table meals” at $700 per week.

“I really booked the low end and then the high end because this is our first time and I just want to try and see what each one is like,” she says.

“The more expensive ones come with meals and snacks and they run for longer in the day, which is also really helpful to us as working parents.”

Many less expensive camps mirror the typical school day, ending at 3 p.m. or thereabouts. That’s not workable for many parents, but Bury and her husband have flexible work schedules that can accommodate drop-off and pickup logistics.

There are some extra costs to consider. Does the camp offer meals, or will your grocery budget need to make room for bagged lunches? How far out of your way are you going to have to drive to pick up and drop off kids attending a wilderness camp outside of town, and how much gas money will that eat up?

Millie Gormely, a certified financial planner at IG Wealth Management in Thunder Bay, Ont., says splurging on something like a pricey dressage camp, and all the associated horse-riding gear, might not be worth it — for your bank account or the kids’ enjoyment.

“Sometimes we, as adults, get a little bit too hung up on what is special and what is interesting,” she says.

“We have to remember that kids are a lot simpler and a lot easier to please than we might think. So something like a municipal camp where they go to a municipal pool for the morning and then they play in the playground for the afternoon and they get a box lunch … they would be thrilled with that.”

Camps aren’t the only options, either. Some families will swap child care: both sets of kids hang out at one house one week, and switch to the other the next. Others might take a long vacation abroad. A neighbourhood teen might be keen to earn some extra bucks entertaining your littles.

“This might be a wonderful opportunity for the kids to have a sleepover with grandma for a couple of days,” Gormely says.

And for older kids, having nothing planned is an option — for a bit, Gormely adds.

“I understand many parents might not want to do that for the entire summer because that’s just asking for trouble,” she says.

“But trying to pack the entire summer back-to-back with activities is going to be very difficult, it’s going to be very expensive and it’s going to be exhausting. And I think sometimes it’s OK for the kids to just kind of hang around the house and maybe be a little bit bored. It won’t kill them.”

However parents choose keep their kids entertained all summer, Gormely says it should be part of their broader financial plan.

“And that way they can stop being big, stressful decisions that come up in April and May and become part of the rhythm of the year,” she says.

“Summer spending itself isn’t the problem. It’s not having a plan for it. Once you have the expectation set and you’ve got it prepared, it’s much more manageable and you can relax and enjoy the summer.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2026.