Looking for something to do this summer? Head out to Washington State. They are offering free camping for foster children and their foster families.

The offer applies to state parks in the Washington State. I think it’s fantastic. Money is tight for everyone right now, and this may be something that the kids have never had the opportunity to do before.

Getting out in nature is a wonderful thing. Hiking, building a campfire, roasting marshmallows, staying up late; these are some of the few good memories I have from my own childhood. We often camped in large groups and we would explore the campground with our group of friends.

The foster parents don’t have to jump through hoops in order to qualify. When they make the reservation at the park, they simply have to say that they are foster parents. Upon check-in, show a copy of their foster care license and a picture ID. That’s it. They may still have to pay a reservation fee of $7 - $9. Not bad for a weekend getaway. Washington State has eighty-four parks that participate in this program.

We have taken kids camping and they have loved it. All of my kids have been camping with us at least once. Even little Mackenzie. We don’t usually camp in state parks because my kids are extremely active so we camp in campgrounds that have plenty of activities for the kids.

My kids have loved the opportunity to be outside and be active. The change in routine has not bothered them at all. It is one of the rare times that the lack of routine was a good thing for them. The one thing that the kids did have a hard time with was sleeping. Some of this was due to the excitement of the weekend and a good sugar high from junk food and roasted marshmallows. Part of it had to do with the sense of safety. Since we were out in the open they felt slightly vulnerable. However, they would not pass up the opportunity to go camping. They were excited anytime we went.

Give your foster or adoptive child the gift of great childhood memories. Head for a campsite.


Photo credit - Kelly L. Killian