MAINE PUBLIC • July 15, 2022
Summer camps across the state are dealing with a shortage of counselors, as a tight labor market leads many young people to other jobs, reducing the scant quantity of child care for parents across the state. "Child care, and camp, it's not an easy job, right? You're taking care of children all day long, and all of their needs," says Meagan Hamblett, the executive director of the YMCA Alliance of Northern New England. Hamblett says many young people are opting for other jobs that may pay $15 or $20 an hour elsewhere. Camps say they also rely on teachers to serve as counselors during their time off in the summer. But this year, fewer are signing up, burnt out from years of hybrid and remote learning.