Texans are glowing with new hope for a vibrant 2020 summer camp season! On May 18, Governor Abbott announced the second phase of safely and strategically reopening the state by allowing Texas summer camps, youth sports, daycares, and bars to ramp up operations. Yes, COVID-19 has thrown a lot of wrenches into the works, but as Abbott said himself:
“Today, tomorrow, and every day going forward is one step closer to medical discoveries that can treat and protect people from COVID-19—but until that day comes, our focus is keeping Texans safe while restoring their ability to get back to work, open their businesses, pay their bills, and put food on their tables.”
To that end, Texas has issued comprehensive and careful guidelines for daytime and overnight summer camps in Texas (in addition to other reopening industries), all available here. This executive order is truly a sigh of relief for parents and camp owners alike. It offers certainty and instruction in what was a very fluid and uncertain situation with the summer fast approaching.
What Do the Texas Summer Camp Guidelines Mean For My Camp?
If you’re in Texas, it means you can (and should) immediately dive into the guidance documents from the state and get started on making arrangements to comply. They’re all the buzz in the Houston news already. Here are a few things to do right out of the gate:
- Spread the governor’s official announcement far and wide.
- Reassure returning campers and interested new families that everything will your camp will be up and running this summer.
- Reach out to your audience with a combination of your website’s home page, social channels, and email to cast a wide net.
- Put all specific programming plans on hold until you’ve fully sorted through the state guidelines.
- Send regular updates to parents as the program and your policies and procedures evolve.
- Turn up registration marketing to full tilt! Now that you know you can open, it’s time to fill those spots.
If you are in a state that still has an uncertain timeline, take note. The guidance and rules for Texas summer camps are likely to inform other states as they mull over their own reopening process. Many of your state’s guidelines could be inspired by (or drawn directly from) the first states to officially declare 2020 summer camp open.
You should definitely be keeping options for delayed, abbreviated, or online summer camp in mind, but don’t give up on a live camp experience yet. It is looking increasingly likely that there will be a steady influx of states joining Texas in allowing camps to open for on-site campers (as long as they comply with their state’s social distancing guidelines).
If things have been haywire and your registration process has been put on hold, that’s totally understandable. But that will make it all the more important for you to kick into top gear if your state allows the 2020 summer camp season to move forward as originally planned.
No matter what, though, Camps With Friends is here for you! We provide all of our free-to-join partners with a powerful way to advertise their summer camps, connect with families, and drive registrations, completely free of charge. Get ahead of your competition. Just give us a call, and we’ll hook you up with a customized listing and help you get access to all the parents on the hunt for camps right in your area, whether it’s Texas summer camps or anywhere else!
