For many Quebec kids with disabilities, dreams of camp are dashed this summer

Some parents of children with disabilities in Quebec City got a bitter surprise earlier this week, when they learned that the Patro Roc-Amadour day camp wouldn't be operating this year.

The day camp normally welcomes some 72 teenagers with intellectual disabilities or autism, but it couldn't find any staff to take care of them.

"This is the first time this has happened in 20 years of existence," said Julie Leblond, the centre's director of adapted services.

Leblond said the centre reluctantly broke the news to parents.

One of these parents, Stéphane Desmeules, said it was a blow. His daughter Rose was already registered for the camp this summer. Desmeules works from home and can't afford to take much time off during the summer.

He said it is hard to accept that his daughter won't have many opportunities to enjoy her holidays.

"My daughter needs to socialize, to move, to see people," he said. "She'll spend part of her summer sitting on a couch, it can harm her physical condition."

Finding summer camps for children with disabilities is more of a challenge than usual this year, because the labour shortage has forced many camps to reduce the number of spots available — or even cancel their season.

Part of the problem is that these specialized camps require a lot more counsellors than regular camps, because their campers require heightened care.

Camp Cité Joie in Lac Beauport is offering only 40 spots per week instead of the usual 100, and even managing that is a big challenge, said the camp's director, Denis Savard.

"We have just enough [staff] to start the season," said Savard — and the camp will be in trouble if anyone resigns or gets sick.

"We're really up against a wall right now, it's extremely difficult," he said, calling the situation unprecedented.

Savard said the camp is still actively recruiting staff, but in the meantime it had to create waiting lists. Hundreds of children are already on that list, he said. The camp had at least 17 requests in just one day last week.

As a result of this staff shortage, many people with disabilities won't be able to attend camp this summer, according to Savard.