Activities on tap for youth this summer

Parents need the support of summer camps to keep their children busy all summer, especially if the alternative is to leave them home alone.

In St. Charles Parish, the department of recreation has provided camps at many of the schools in the parish. The public libraries have various activities for the children, too.  

Our children are fortunate to have camps readily available for them at affordable prices.  And there’s a camp sponsored by the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office that’s entirely free.  Parents should take advantage of every opportunity to give their children something to do.    

According to a national crime survey sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, during the summer months, it’s harder to provide youth with services when it counts, because juvenile crime is spread across many hours in the day. The national data on youth crimes in the summer shows that young people start committing crimes around noon during the summer instead of 3 p.m. in other seasons. 

And juveniles tend to get caught committing drug crimes later in the evening during the summer, apparently because the children are out later when they don't have to wake up early to go to school.

That’s why keeping young adults and teens busy all summer is important.  In many states, after school programs are extended into summer camps.  

St. Charles is joining that trend by creating and promoting positive solutions for our youth for the summer months.