The Foster Family Coalition of the NWT says its Camp Connections operations will be cancelled this year, citing changes to territorial funding models and a need for budget increases.
Camp Connections is an annual camp operating since 2003 that hosts hundreds of kids at a campsite along the Ingraham Trail.
The camp – geared toward youth in social services, including foster care, adoption or other involvement with the child welfare system – provides young people with outdoor programming and opportunities for “connection, healing, and personal growth.”
News of the camp’s cancellation came in a spring newsletter published by the Foster Family Coalition.
Approached for comment, the Foster Family Coalition said it could not provide Cabin Radio with further information about the reason for shutting down this summer’s Camp Connections.
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The organization has not specified the precise financial issues affecting the camp, but said in its newsletter it is working on “securing alternate sources of funding to support camp staffing and programming needs.”
One foster parent, requesting anonymity to speak with Cabin Radio about their own experience, said Camp Connections had been a vital resource for foster families and a source of temporary respite.
“Some foster parents aren’t in a position to offer that same level of experience,” they said by phone on Monday. “Getting that time out of the foster care home to do something culturally appropriate, with peers, can prevent other social issues later down the road.”
The foster parent criticized what they characterized as GNWT funding adjustments, saying the territory should be doing its “due diligence” to consider the impacts.
The NWT’s Department of Health and Social Services had not provided comment by the time of publication but said it was working on a statement.
Although this year’s camp is cancelled, the Foster Family Coalition has said it is looking at holding alternative “On The Land Day” outings for local youth using funding already secured.
The cancellation comes as Canada’s Office of the Auditor General declares the Northwest Territories’ systems to be lacking when it comes to protecting and supporting children in the territory’s care.
The foster parent said the loss of the camp added to broader questions surrounding how the territory supports vulnerable children.
