If I have more than one child interested in attending your summer program, can they be located at the same campsite? YES.  This summer the Department of Leisure Services has adjusted the ages restrictions at 2 of our camp sites.  At the West Elm. and Three Rivers sites, siblings between the ages of 5-12 can attend camp at the same location.  Small group activities and some field trips may vary between the younger and older children at these sites due to age appropriateness.  Leisure Services still understands and respects the desire of many parents to keep their smaller children separated from older children.  Thus we still have 2 programs specifically for 5-8 year olds (Harrison Central & Bayou View Elm.).

Do I have to provide a lunch for my child? NO. Our summer program participates in the Hot Lunch Programs sponsored by the City of Gulfport Schools, Harrison County Schools, and Gulf Coast Community Action Agency. This feeding program is free of charge and available to absolutely any child who wishes to participate. If a feeding program is not already located at one of our sites, we will provide transportation by bus to the nearest lunch program daily at no additional cost.  You will still need to supply snacks for your child.  Contact your camp director on the first day of camp for specifics.  Please note that there may be certain dates that a sack lunch will be required (field trips, etc.).  Directors will notify you in advance of these dates.

Do you accept Childcare Certificates from the District or Human Services for financial aid? YES. We accept certificates from both agencies for our summer program. An application must be completed with the Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District and/or the Department of Human Services. Those agencies will approve/disapprove the application and determine the amount of financial assistance. That agency will then forward our department the proper paperwork to process the application. In many cases these agencies will require a "co-pay".  The phone number to contact a  Representative regarding the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is 1-888--867-6733 (toll free) for assistance.

Will my child be going on field trips and how much do they cost? YES.  Each camp will usually take two field trips per week to various locations (i.e. swimming, skating, tours, museum etc.). The number of trips is not guaranteed any longer due to the destruction of many our camp's field trip destinations.  Typically each trip will not cost more than a couple of dollars and should be paid no later than the morning of the trip to the camp director. Be sure to check with the camp director for payment deadlines for field trips.  Please note that field trip money must be paid separately from weekly fees by cash only.  Checks are not accepted for field trips (since field trip money is given directly to the field trip destination for admission. All transportation is provided by Laidlaw per all current Licensing Regulations regarding childcare transportation.

If I register my child for a "week"  and they only attend 1 day, do I have to pay for the whole week?  YES.  Our program is currently formatted into weeks for ease and convenience for both parents and our administrative staff.  If a child attend any part of a week, full fees for that week are due.  Our office uses this registration process to determine staff ratios for each specific weeks and can not pro-rate fees for a week.  Only in an extreme case (sickness or hospitalization) will any pro-rations occur of weekly fees.  Any requests for this must be submitted in writing to the camp coordinator.

What if my child is going to miss a week ? Do we have to pay? ONLY if your child was registered for that week and no advanced notice was given to the administrative offices or the camp director prior to missing that week.  Our program is staffed according to anticipated attendance based on registration totals.  Weekly fees are the same regardless of the number of days attended/missed during the week.  There are not pro-rated weekly fees unless set by the Leisure Services Administrative Offices.  Advanced notice is defined as adequate time to notify and secure an individual from the waiting list and properly enroll that person in camp for that period (1 Week Notice)

What kind of activities will my child be doing throughout the day? The Gulfport Leisure Services Summer Day Camp includes activities similar to most summer day camp programs. Children will participate in arts & crafts activities, indoor and outdoor sports, games, guest speaker presentations, field trips, swimming, and many other exciting activities specific to each camp location. The camp director will provide you with a copy of the activity schedule for each week so you can be aware of upcoming activities and requirements.  Please visit the photo album page on this website to better view many of the activities during the summer program.

Does your program offer any activities for children with disabilities? YES.  Leisure Services offers summer camp supervision for children with mild to moderate physical and mental disabilities at the 19th Street Community Center. An inclusive philosophy is taken by our staff whenever possible, yet with the understanding that different disabilities require different levels of care and offer different levels of activity.  When registering, the FLASH program director for the City of Gulfport will be on hand to address questions and concerns regarding the care of children with disabilities.  Specialized staff trained to deal with the situations are on site through out the summer.  Contact Leisure Services at 228-868-5882 for more information.

What if my child is hospitalized or sick and can not attend camp during any of the sessions?
With the required documentation from a physician or medical facility, you may request a pro-rated refund.  Each case is approved on its own merit and must be submitted in writing to the camp coordinator as soon as possible.