It's summer camp registration season. For many Calgary parents, the race — and anxiety — is on

For single mom Tara Parlee of Calgary, registering her two young kids for summer camps for the first time was like picking up a second full-time job.

But like many other working parents, it's her only choice for child care when school is out.

The trying times of summer camp registration season mean waking up at the crack of dawn to compete for spots against hundreds of other parents who are doing the exact same thing.

"As soon as it opens, it's already full. And then by the time I get one kid registered, when I refresh to add my other kid, everything is full. So then I can't do it, and I have to take the other kid out," said Parlee.

Rinse and repeat.

Parlee said the process isn't nearly as easy as finding a program her kids like and signing up. In reality, the mental work begins well before registrations open.

"It took me like a good month of every day just trying to see what's out there and reaching out to people and doing extra footwork as far as going to mom groups and trying to get references," she said.

For some, the stress and planning begins as early as the winter.

"It's a frustrating process. It shouldn't be this difficult for parents."

She isn't alone. It's a popular topic of conversation among parents, and the barriers are even more intense if they're on a budget or have a strict work schedule. And while summer camp operators are doing what they can to manage demand, competition remains high for more popular and affordable camps.

Catherine Anderson understands the struggle as a mom, and as a hub manager at Trellis Society in Renfrew.

That location opened up summer camp registrations last month, and it's already 80 per cent full — even after adding 15 new spots this year.

As is the case with many other organizations, families that participate in their other year-round programs, like preschool or kinder-care, get first dibs with early registration.

"So we almost fill up just based on that," said Anderson.