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Guide · Camp planning
Camp waitlist strategy: backups, deposits and deadlines
A waitlist spot isn’t coverage. Here is how to keep a workable summer while you wait, and what to check before you swap.
Short answer: treat a waitlist spot as a possibility, not a plan. Keep a refundable or low-risk backup in place, know every deposit and cancellation deadline in advance, and decide ahead of time what you will do if a spot opens (or doesn’t).
First, what a waitlist actually tells you
Waitlists differ. Some camps rank by sign-up time, some by sibling or returning-camper priority, some by a lottery, and some release spots in batches. Camps usually can’t promise anything, and often won’t say where you are. Before you rely on a waitlist, ask: How is the list ordered? Do you tell families their position? How much notice do I get when a spot opens, and how long do I have to say yes? Does accepting require a new deposit, and is it applied to the week I’m on the list for? Write the answers down. Don’t assume.
The waitlist domino problem
The messy part isn’t the waitlist, it’s everything attached to it. A spot opening for week 3 doesn’t help if you have already paid a non-refundable deposit on the backup for week 3, if the new camp has different hours that reopen a gap, or if the sibling’s camp is across town. Before you accept a spot, check whether it still covers your work hours, whether the child is old enough (see age cutoff rules), and what leaving your backup would cost.
Example (made-up dates and prices)
You want Camp A for the week of July 6 ($350). You are waitlisted. As a backup you paid a $100 deposit at Camp B ($300 for that week, balance due June 1, deposit non-refundable, full refund minus deposit if cancelled before May 15). Camp A says it will let waitlisted families know by May 1.
- If Camp A calls before May 15: cancel Camp B and lose only the $100 deposit.
- If Camp A calls after May 15 but before June 1: depends on Camp B’s terms; you may owe more than the deposit.
- If Camp A never calls: you keep Camp B and pay the $200 balance on June 1.
The numbers are invented, but the questions are the useful part: what is the last date I can switch for free, and what does it cost after that?
A simple strategy
- Rank your goals. Decide for each week which camp you most want, the acceptable second choice, and the one you can live with.
- Put a real backup behind every important week. Prefer one with a refundable or small deposit. A cheaper non-refundable backup may be worth it only if you are sure you will use it.
- Calendar every date: waitlist response windows, deposit due dates, balance due dates, last day for a full or partial refund.
- Check hours before you swap. Compare the new camp’s drop-off, pickup and extended care with your workday so a swap doesn’t create a new gap (see the summer childcare gap).
- Respond fast but verify in writing. If a spot opens, ask for the offer and its deadline by email, then confirm the cancellation terms for your backup before you cancel it.
- Set a decision date. If a waitlist hasn’t moved by the date you pick, decide whether to stay on it or accept the backup and stop thinking about it.
- Be courteous. If you accept a different option, tell the camp you’re leaving the waitlist so someone else can have the spot.
Tax note for deposits
If you use a dependent care FSA or the child care credit, a forfeited deposit usually isn’t a reimbursable or creditable expense. IRS Publication 503 says a forfeited deposit isn’t for the care of a qualifying person if care isn’t provided, using the example of a preschool deposit you forfeit after choosing a different school. Treat a non-refundable backup deposit as a cost you might lose outright when you set your FSA amount (see how much to put in). This is general information, not tax advice.
Use a what-if, not a guess
Before you accept a spot, run the swap in a plan and see what it does to coverage and cost. CampSorted’s Pro plan has a waitlist “what if” view that shows how a newly opened spot changes your gaps and total (see pricing); a spreadsheet will do the same job if you are willing to compare the two versions by hand.
Sources
General information, not tax advice. Last checked: 2026-10-24. US federal rules only; your employer’s plan, your state and your own situation can change the answer, so confirm with your plan administrator or a tax professional. CampSorted is not affiliated with the IRS or OPM.