Parents told ‘no action required’ as camp sign-up problems persist
Families grappling with ongoing technical problems while trying to register their children for government-subsidised summer camps have been told to wait to pay until the issues are rectified.
Responding to questions from The Royal Gazette, the Government said its technical teams had implemented temporary mitigation measures while continuing work towards a permanent resolution for registration for its Camp Connect programme serving approximately 1,000 students.
It was reported previously that intermittent service disruptions were experienced shortly after registration opened on May 5 — delayed from its intended April 27 launch date.
Investigations suggested the issue was a link to a cloud-based service outage outside Bermuda, affecting how internet traffic was routed and managed across the region.
Since then, e-mails were sent to parents who had seemingly registered their children online, suggesting they had only 24 hours to make payments.
However, the platform where payments should be made was offline “for routine maintenance”.
The Camp Connect team then issued an e-mail asking parents to ignore previous automated e-mails, which it admitted were confusing, and to exercise patience as the challenges were worked through.
A government spokeswoman told the Gazette yesterday: “At this time, no action is required from parents or guardians.
“Government has advised families to disregard any previous communications regarding payment deadlines, including e-mails previously issued requesting payment action.
“The summer camp registration portal and payment gateway are undergoing maintenance and enhancements. Families should not make payments, attempt to modify registrations, or take further action until they receive updated instructions.”
• Existing camp applications and family preferences remain securely recorded within the system
• No family will lose a camp placement because of missed payment deadlines during this period
• Payment deadlines will be extended to ensure families have sufficient opportunity to complete any required steps once the updated system is available
• Until further communication is received, families are encouraged to monitor their e-mail, with no further action required at this time. Support remains available through osshelp@gov.bm
Meanwhile, parents have taken to social media to complain about the challenges with the process, which was revamped to include a lottery system that could be accessed over the course of a week to ease the stress of signing up during a previously limited time slot.
The government spokeswoman said upgrades would improve navigation, clarity of application status, placement outcomes and next-step guidance.
She added: “Once notifications are reissued, families whose children receive camp placements will have five business days from the date of notification to complete payment requirements.
“Families not selected in the initial round may still receive placement opportunities in subsequent allocation rounds as spaces become available.”
The Government said that the Camp Connect sign-up initiative was part of the broader Digital Transformation Programme with Bermuda telecommunications firm Paradise Mobile and Abacus Cambridge, which is designed to build “a smarter, AI-powered digital Bermuda where residents and businesses can access government services seamlessly through one connected platform”.
A spokeswoman for Paradise Mobile said: “We recognise the frustration that many families using the Camp Connect portal are feeling and we sincerely regret any inconvenience caused. We realise that summer camps are vital to families’ holiday childcare plans and we do not take this lightly.
“All of the teams involved are actively reviewing feedback, implementing enhancements and strengthening operational processes to ensure a smoother user experience going forward. The lessons learnt from this roll-out are being directly applied to immediate upgrades to Camp Connect, as well as to the wider modernisation project moving forward.
“The challenges experienced with Camp Connect do not shake our confidence in the overarching vision of our partnership with the Government. Our objective remains to build a smarter, more connected digital Bermuda, where residents can access services easily and seamlessly. Camp Connect is just one initial component of a much larger infrastructure effort that includes identity services, secure payments, workflow automation and citizen-facing applications across multiple departments.
“As with any major digital transformation, ultimate success is measured over time rather than by a single initial launch. Paradise Mobile remains committed to working collaboratively with Government to learn from this experience, refine delivery processes and continue building modern infrastructure that delivers long-term value to the Bermuda public.”
The government spokeswoman gave the value of the two-year digital transformation contract as $2,076,734.
The funding supports the overall programme across multiple government departments and services through the www2.gov.bm portal.
She said that because the contract funds shared digital platforms, it was not possible to say how much was allocated to Camp Connect’s sign-up without undertaking a separate cost-allocation exercise.
Camp Connect was said to use a different platform architecture and hosting environment to www2.gov.bm.
Asked who was ultimately in charge of revamping the Camp Connect registration process, the spokeswoman responded: “Paradise Mobile serves as the programme delivery partner under the Government's Digital Transformation Programme and is responsible for overall programme management and oversight.
“Abacus Cambridge was engaged as the software development partner responsible for the platform's technical architecture, software development, system functionality and implementation of the registration process.
“While the Department of Sport and Recreation administers the programme, it does not oversee or control the platform's technical infrastructure, software development activities or system implementation.”
Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, commended the digital transformation team during a press conference last December to launch the programme. The spokeswoman said he stood by his comments while acknowledging the challenges.
The Government said it was not considering retuning to the previous camp registration process, adding “the potential for an improved, smoother process will be realised”.
Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, said last month that the platform was “running as intended”, which the Government said was true at the time following corrective actions — but turned out not to be the case thereafter “from a technical perspective”.
Families have been advised that, pending further communication, they should monitor their e-mail, with no further action required at this time.
Abacus Cambridge have been approached for comment.
Support remains available through osshelp@gov.bm.
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