Brentwood shortens summer camp before/after care hours, approves partner soccer program

The commission approved a change to Brentwood’s summer camp schedule, reducing before- and after-care by 30 minutes on each end of the day to reduce staffing costs.

Director Nick Lawrence said last year camp ran 7:30–9 a.m. for before care and 4–5:30 p.m. for after care; staff proposed changing the schedule this year to 8–9 a.m. and 4–5 p.m. to avoid paying for underutilized half-hour slots. Staff estimated the cost of staffing those extra half-hours for the full summer at roughly $1,000. The commission discussed the trade-off: some families rely on the extended times for childcare. Members stressed the need to monitor enrollment and keep the option of reverting the schedule if demand resurfaces. The motion to reduce hours passed.

Members also discussed a proposed partnership with "Brazilian Soccer United," a regional program that would run an additional week of soccer programming the week of Aug. 17–21. The provider would use town field space at no cost and share 20% of registration revenue; members asked staff to collect documentation and require the same background checks the town uses for its own staff and vendors before confirming the arrangement.

Next steps: staff to notify families of the new daily camp hours, monitor registration and wait lists, require vendor documentation and background checks for partner programs, and report results at the next meeting.