The Chicago Park District owns more than 8,100 acres of green space and operates 580+ parks, making it one of the largest municipal park managers in the nation. Our year-round out-of-school time programs for youth are offered at hundreds of parks throughout Chicago. In 2022, over 24,000 total participants (children ages 6-12) enjoyed programs including an afterschool program called Park Kids and a full day Summer Day Camp. Each program provides a variety of activities in a safe, supervised setting. We intentionally keep programs affordable so that every family has the chance to participate. Still, this year, over 5,000 kids needed additional aid. To meet this need, the Financial Assistance Fund provides support to make our programs possible for children regardless of their family's financial situation. 100% of the requested funding supports this fund, aiding qualifying families in our programs.