CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Parents are digging through their pockets with high inflation costs nearly everywhere, but now sticker shock has hit children's summer camps.
With the demand already surging past supply for certain camps, many parents are asking for more budget friendly options ahead of the summer.
There is a resource parents are utilizing on social media, though, to cut costs and find the best options.
"It really started small and its grown considerably which has been great", Anna Snowden, a mom and architect of the CLT Summer Camp, (Afterschool) Activities and No-School Days Facebook page, said.
She wanted a place for working parents to find and create space for summer learning experiences. Two years later, her page has over 4,000 members.
"Honestly that is one of the biggest shocks to people that are new to camps, its the cost," Snowden said.
She created the group understanding the pressure that comes with creating a summer experience that doesn't interfere with work.
Camp organizers, school administrators and parents pour in to a camp buffet of sorts in the Facebook group. It's a place where mainstream and harder to find camps alike are posted in one place with costs attached.
Parents are also encouraged to ask about financial assistance while they search for camps and do it as soon as possible. Some camps offer payment plans or other financial considerations that go a long way in getting the cost partially or completely covered.
"Mecklenburg Recreation camps are a great resource," Snowden said. "They have them in several locations around Charlotte that makes it easy for parents and not everyone knows they are even out there."
It's one of the little known facts that pop up on the Facebook group now that camps are in high demand.
Taylor Faulkner, program manager for Youth Programs at UNC Charlotte, also shed some light on summer camps. They have more than 1,600 kids ready to take part in tons of camps spread out among many genres.
"We try to be as flexible as we can and work with families," Faulkner explained. "If they contact us early, we can try and find scholarship money to help the cost."
UNC Charlotte boasts a range of camps in STEM that start from first grade and run through high school. Most are weekly camps starting around $200 for five days. Faulkner added that there is still room available -- but it won't last long.
Contact Colin Mayfield at cmayfield@wcnc.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.