Camp Blue Sky Celebrates 16 Years of Affordable Childcare for Manufactured Home Communities

This year, 25 campers participated in Augusta Communities’ 16th four-week summer day camp for children living in manufactured home communities in Montclair, Camp Blue Sky.

For many of these children, Camp Blue Sky is their only opportunity to participate in structured summer programming because of the cost barriers associated with outside programs, according to Nancy Neill of Augusta Communities. Throughout its history, the camp has been free or low-cost to families. In 2026, families paid $25 per camper.

One of the biggest lessons for the non-profit since beginning the program in 2010, according to Neill, has been the importance of meeting families where they are and continuing to adjust programming based on the needs of the community.

“One of my favorite parts of Camp Blue Sky is hearing from families after the summer is over,” said Vice President of Community Services at Augusta Communities Vanessa Hatch. “Parents will tell us about the friendships their children made, the new things they tried or how excited they were to come back the next year, and that’s when you really see how much the program means to them.”

Over the years, the organization has seen that children benefit from having a structured, supportive environment where they can build friendships, try new things and grow in confidence, Neill said.

The 2026 program was offered at two manufacturered home community locations: Villa Montclair and Monterey Manor. Children ages 6-14 engaged in dodgeball, soccer and outdoor games, to tie-dye, painting and other art projects. The program also featured special guest speakers, including professional drag racer Kelly Barr Anderson, the Angels Baseball Team, the Los Angeles Fire Department and Sami Durham, executive director of program partner Outdoor Journeys, who led a CPR demonstration.

Each camp concluded with a Family Fun Night, bringing campers and their families together for dinner, a display of campers’ artwork and a talent show featuring performances by campers and staff. Because the program is directly inside the community, transportation costs and logistical barriers are eliminated, according to Neill. Over the course of the program, 890 campers have participated.

“Because our communities tend to have long-term families and relatively low turnover, participation naturally changes as generations of children grow up and age out of the program,” Neill said. “One of the most special parts of that evolution has been seeing some campers continue their involvement after aging out by returning as Teen Leaders and helping shape the experience for the next generation of campers.”

To increase affordability, Augusta Communities subsidizes the vast majority of the cost of the program and also works with families who need financial assistance. Neill mentioned they are looking into applying for grants to help continue funding the program in the future, as program costs rise.