San Francisco and five other counties around the Bay are planning to loosen restrictions for childcare and summer day camps, giving parents some much needed relief in the coming few months.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health issued a revised health order on Friday pertaining to day camps and other summer programs for kids, saying that they may proceed starting on June 15 with a limit of 12 children per group, and a minimum length of three weeks per session — though it's preferable if kids stay in the same groups for the entire summer. City-sponsored camps are open to all kids in SF aged 6 to 17, and priority registration for a lottery system through the Rec and Parks Department begins on Tuesday, May 26 for families already enrolled in the city's emergency childcare program. Regular registration will then take place on June 6. Over 200 camps will be going on this summer in and around various city parks. (More info here.)

"Children need to be able get outside and have fun while their parents know they are safe," Mayor London Breed said in a statement. "While summer camps and programs will look different this year than they have in the past, it will provide relief for some parents and give their children the opportunity to play and spend time with other kids their age."

As KPIX reports, SF's emergency childcare program for children aged 0 to 5 will continue through the summer for low-income and essential workers.

"Depending on what space a camp uses, a camp may be able to have only one pod of 12 kids, but maybe have two pods — or even three pods," said Phil Ginsberg, director of the Rec & Parks Department during a Friday web broadcast (per Mission Local).

Organizations looking to start summer programs for kids of their own must fill out an online registration form with the city, and they must have parents sign waivers. All such programs have to show they have a health and safety plan to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The Rec & Parks camp programs will run through August 14.