Working parents are facing a summer crisis due to the high cost of $2,000 camps: "It is complete chaos."

Although the math appeared challenging, it turned out to be more affordable for Julie Kelley to send her 9-year-old son to seven different summer camps in three states than to enroll him in a full-time program in Vermont, where they reside.

The Kelleys' summer vacation, lasting 10 weeks, will cost them approximately $2,000 for their child.

Kelley searched for full-time, five-day summer camps near Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, but couldn't find any options. She also looked at full-time camps in Burlington, Vermont, which are about a two-hour drive from their house, but they cost $400 per week.

Kelley's son will have attended day camps in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Minnesota by the time school starts in August, staying with relatives. The camps cost between $150 and $400 per week.

The 50-year-old mom tells CNBC Make It that it was the best option within their budget, despite sounding insane, as they planned months in advance for the local day camp that closed due to staffing shortages last summer.

Kelley, a full-time communications consultant who works from home, reveals that she and her husband are currently spending "more than double" the amount they did last year on child-care arrangements.

"Summer shouldn't be this difficult," she remarks, "whenever I encounter other parents in line for coffee or at the park and inquire about their well-being, I notice the same exhausted expression mirrored back at me."

On average, American families spend approximately $800 per month on child care, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of their income, according to the Federal Reserve.

The high cost of child care is not limited to a specific season, but the summer months can be particularly difficult for families due to school closures and additional expenses such as day care, sleepaway camps, and other activities.

According to the American Camp Association, the average cost of summer camp in the U.S. is approximately $87 per day, while sleepaway camp tuition costs around $173 per day.

Due to inflation and a national child-care crisis, families are experiencing increased financial strain.

A recent Credit Karma survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults revealed that 40% of parents cannot afford summer camp due to the higher cost of living, making it an unfeasible option for many households across the U.S.

Almost 30% of parents sending their children to camp are either going into debt or using buy-now, pay-later options to cover the expenses.

In June, a report by the non-profit organization ParentsTogetherAction revealed that 59% of parents face challenges in finding affordable seasonal child care, leading to someone in their household cutting back on hours or leaving a job.

Bringing kids to the office

During summers past, Margaret McGriff's two daughters, aged 7 and 12, attended a day camp near their home in Lake Worth, Florida, from Monday to Friday while she was at work.

"McGriff, a single parent, describes the ideal setup as dropping off the children before driving to work and picking them up around 5 p.m. on the way home."

This summer, McGriff could only afford to send her younger daughter back to camp after months of struggling with higher tax, grocery, and gas bills.

By keeping her 12-year-old daughter home for the summer, she will save $2,000, as the program costs about $2,000 per child.

McGriff, a senior content strategist at Labor Finders in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, needed to request working from home until August due to her inability to find an affordable nanny or part-time camp for her eldest daughter.

McGriff is commuting to the office once a week between June and August, and on Wednesdays, her daughter accompanies her.

"McGriff, 42, says that although she is fortunate to have job flexibility, balancing parenting and working full time has been incredibly challenging, especially this summer when she hasn't had access to affordable child care. She adds, "It's just mentally exhausting.""

Despite the unexpected challenges this summer, McGriff and her daughter have grown even closer and found silver linings in being home together.

While McGriff is at work, her older daughter spends her time reading, baking, and completing workbooks. In the evenings and on weekends, McGriff compensates for her oldest daughter's missed field trips by taking her children to museums, parks, the movie theater, and other outings.

Having six kids and two dogs home for the summer

Natasha Brown works as a data annotator from midnight to 8 a.m., five days a week, and then takes on the role of a working mother to six kids during the summer break.

""This summer has been the most stressful ever," says Brown, 40, as it is complete chaos."

Christopher and his wife, Brown, reside in Cumming, Georgia with their two dogs. Their youngest child has just turned 1, while their oldest is 20 years old. Christopher works from home full-time as a data manager for a health tech company.

The Browns hired a full-time nanny for $800 per week to watch their four youngest children last summer, while also sending their kids to part-time day camps and one-off activities like cello and singing lessons.

Despite the higher child-care costs, Brown had no choice but to keep their children at home this summer. Hiring another full-time nanny would have cost the family $1,800 per week, which is more than double the amount they paid last year.

""We want our children to have a fun summer, but we don't want to spend almost our entire paycheck on child care," she says."

Her two eldest children, aged 16 and 20, have summer jobs, while her younger three children, aged 11, 9, and 5, are taking online classes in French, Spanish, math, ballet, and other subjects on the Outschool platform. The cost of classes ranges from $10 to over $100, depending on the subject.

Brown has kept her children busy during summer by organizing movie marathons and encouraging them to play outdoors with their friends on their street, as well as having sleepovers with their friends.

When not working, their 1-year-old daughter is watched by turns by her and her husband.

Brown estimates that she's saving at least $3,000 by keeping her children home this summer, which she plans to use towards a family trip to Martha's Vineyard in September.

"Although we didn't get the relaxing summer we desired, it's a temporary sacrifice to ensure our bills are paid, our children are comfortable, and we avoid falling into debt, she remarks. "I'm still grateful for that choice.""

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