FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP -- While the teachers strike in the Dallas School District continues this week, some parents are scrambling for child care. However, one camp in the Back Mountain has stepped in with a fall camp.
Some students from the Dallas School District raced to the finish on a bouncy house at Camp Orchard Hill on Tuesday afternoon while teachers continued their strike this week over wages, workplace safety, and health care.
“It's really fun and I'm happy to be at Camp Orchard Hill because I would just be sitting at home all day,” Dallas Middle School sixth grader Sophia DePolo said.
The camp said it is offering an alternative to working parents who can’t be at home with their kids during the strike.
Counselors are also teaching children some new skills like rock climbing.
“A lot of the parents both work and so they don't have a place to send their kids, or they don't have family around, the daycares are overflowing and there's no space there,” Program director Derek Hodme said. “We have space and we have staff that want to work with these kids, so we opened up the doors.”
A working mom who couldn't be on camera told Newswatch 16 she was panicked at first about what to do with her kids. But now, she's happy they're at Camp Orchard Hill learning something new as opposed to watching TV all day long.
“I like it more because you can interact more with people and you can have a lot of fun,” DePolo said.
The camp is offering a discounted rate for parents who want to register during the strike. There are still open spots available.
If you are interested in registering your child, click here.