Application Process

Camperships are available for day and overnight camps accredited by the Ontario Camps Association (OCA). Kids in Camp considers all eligible campership applications submitted by the Camp Directors of OCA accredited camps. Our resources may limit our ability to help support all qualified applications received, or to be able to grant the full dollar amount or the total number of weeks requested.

Please review the “FAQ” section, below, to have many of your questions answered!

New Campers

  1. Find a camp by visiting the Ontario Camps Association’s website: https://www.ontariocampsassociation.ca. Select “Find Your Perfect Camp” to review the camp options available to you.
  2. Select your preferred camp(s) after researching the options and contact the Camp Director(s) and discuss your situation.
  3. Determine if there is space at the time you have selected and if so, ask the Camp Director to apply to Kids in Camp on your child’s behalf. All OCA Accredited Camps have received information from KIC about how to apply for a camper subsidy.
  4. Please read over the “FAQ” section on this page to help with many of your questions.

Returning Campers

  1. Contact your Camp Director and discuss your situation.
  2. Ask the Camp Director to apply to Kids in Camp on your child’s behalf.
    All OCA Accredited Camps have received information from KIC about how to apply for a campership.
  3. Please read over the “FAQ” section on this page to help with any questions that you may have.

FAQ’s

Our deadline for 2024 summer camp campership applications has now closed. Please check with us or via your camp for 2025 applications which will be available in late October/early November of 2024.

Absolutely! Find a camp by visiting the Ontario Camps Association’s (OCA) website: www.ontariocampassociation.ca Select your preferred camp(s) after researching the options and contact the Camp Director(s) and discuss your situation. Determine if there is space at the time you have selected and if so, ask the Camp Director if they will agree to apply to Kids in Camp on your child’s behalf. All OCA Accredited Camps have received information from KIC about how to apply for a camper subsidy. Please have a camp contact us directly if they have any questions about Kids in Camp.

Kindly note that KIC’s mandate is to support summer season campers at OCA accredited day and overnight camps, in the province in which the camper resides, with the exception of campers living in Ontario attending an OCA Accredited camp in Quebec or campers living in Quebec attending an OCA Accredited camp in Ontario.

Kids in Camp will fund to a maximum of 3 weeks at one overnight camp per child per summer and to a maximum of 4 weeks at one day camp per child per summer. As the length of sessions vary with each camp it is something you should discuss with the camp director.

Kids in Camp accepts applications from camps on behalf of families where the child will be between 4 and 17 at the time of camp. Applications from campers who are over 17 years of age but who have exceptionalities may be considered. Please discuss this with the camp director.

The family is expected to pay a portion of the camp fee, along with another portion being subsidized by the camp, and the other part as awarded by KIC with a successful application. These amounts are arranged between the family and the individual camp during the application process. There are never any fees or charges from Kids in Camp for any part of the application process, either to the camp or the family. (Or from the camp to the family.)

The amount awarded for a successful application from Kids in Camp varies and is dependent upon many factors, including but not limited to: The total amount of funding available to Kids in Camp from our generous donors, the total number of applications received by Kids in Camp for any one summer, if the camp is day or overnight, and the length of your child’s session at camp. For 2024, the maximum amount of funding a successful applicant could receive would be 500.00 per week to a maximum of 3 weeks at an overnight camp or 250.00 per week to a maximum of 4 weeks at a day camp. In all cases the camp is asked to do their best to match KIC’s contribution amount. (In many cases the generosity of the camps is in fact equal to more than the Kids in Camp’s amount). In all cases the family must also contribute toward the camper’s fee. That amount is worked out between the camp and the family.

This will be discussed with your camp director if they agree to support an application on your behalf to Kids in Camp. They will provide you with a Kids in Camp application from to fill in (separate from the camp’s own application forms). In addition, for 2025 you will be required to supply for submission to Kids in Camp, confirmation of income in the form of Canada Revenue Agency Proof of Income Statements OR Notice of Assessments for 2023 or 2024 for all parents and other income providers residing in the home. (T4 Slips are not acceptable.) The camp will also complete a separate Kids in Camp Application form that they will submit directly to us, along with your Kids in Camp application form and your income verification documents.

Camperships are determined by the Kids in Camp Campership Committee and are considered based on need, the camp director’s recommendation, and the funds available. The Kids in Camp Campership Committee members always give careful consideration to every application and to all comments included on every application. Applications are NOT first come first serve, rather, all are adjudicated together after the submission deadline by the KIC Campership Committee.

This is arranged in discussion with the individual camp director.

Our deadline of April 10, 2024 has now passed. Applications for 2025 will be available in late October/early November of 2024

All qualified applications are considered together by our Campership Committee after the submission deadline. There is no effect on likelihood of success based upon date of submission.

Your camp will be in touch with you by the end of April, 2024 with the outcomes.

Please discuss this with the camp director, as each camp has its own fee policies, including those surrounding a deposit payment.

Yes, provided that all of our application criteria are followed on each application and that the camp is in support of all applications.

You may apply to multiple camps, HOWVER Kids in Camp will only approve a maximum of one application per camper per summer.

You may apply for children to attend at different camps, provided those camps are fully accredited by the Ontario Camps Association. You will need to make application to Kids in Camp via each camp and the different camps must agree to support your application(s).

Yes, provided that the family continues to qualify, an application is submitted each year, that application follows Kids in Camp’s current guidelines, and the camp supports that application, there is no limit on the number of summers that a camper may re-apply. Close to 40% of our approved campership applicants are repeat campers…camp is NOT a one year thing!

Yes, however you must provide details of that other source(s) on our application form and you must notify the camp when you receive a reply from the other funding source(s) so that they in turn can notify Kids in Camp.

Any campership amount, if awarded, is paid from Kids in Camp to the camp and deducted from the family fee by the camp. Any family’s portion of a camp fee is paid directly to the camp by the family. Please speak with your camp director or camp office about this.

Kids in Camp look at the total annual income in the household in which the child resides for the majority of the year. For 2024 applications, all adults in that residence must submit Notice of Assessments or Proof of Income Statements from Canada Revenue Agency for the year 2022 or 2023. The combined gross income must be under $ 85000.01. In some special circumstances KIC will go 10-12% above that income limit. Those exceptional circumstances are discussed between the camp and the family.