For millions of kids, summer is marked by camps and other enrichment activities that help them reset mentally, socially, and emotionally and prepare for success at school in the fall. But too many kids and their families get left behind as many high-quality summer programs either do not have enough slots or are cost prohibitive. These kids not only miss out on the experiences their peers have, but after spending months with little support or resources, they are often worse off by the time it’s back-to-school. Summers are a formative time in a child’s development, and federal support is urgently needed to help ensure every kid has a fun and fulfilling summer – not just the ones who can afford it. 

A nationally representative poll by Gallup in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and the American Camp Association (ACA) found that  30 million youth are engaged in summer opportunities. This represents 55% of K-12 youth in schools. NSLA and ACA call for a national effort to maintain and increase this baseline, but critical barriers such as cost remain for many families. 

The Summer for All Act would provide long-term, direct funding to help kids and families access high-quality summer programs and activities. Specifically, the Summer for All Act would authorize $4 billion over four years and $1 billion each fiscal year thereafter to fund two new competitive grant programs to expand access to summer enrichment programs, and authorize an additional reservation of funds to conduct data collection and analysis on the impact of these programs and how to improve summer programming nationwide.