HAMMOND — A Hammond Chick-fil-A's summer camp initiative to give kids a behind-the-scenes look at the hospitality and service industry has gone viral and received mixed reactions, with some calling it a great opportunity for kids to learn and others calling the program a violation of child labor laws.

The Chick-fil-A Summer Camp will be held in six sessions in July for kids ages 5 to 12. According to the West Thomas Street location's Facebook page, the program costs $35 and includes a meal, a t-shirt and a name tag while kids spend time with Chick-fil-A team leaders learning "what it's like to work at America's favorite quick-service restaurant." 

A post announcing the event's expansion to July 22-24 sessions on June 6 has garnered more than 1,600 comments and 1,300 shares. Other posts on the account rarely exceed double digits in comments and shares.

The reaction to the program was mixed, with critics feeling the program was skating around child labor laws.

"Paying a corporate company for some free child labor, wow. A 5-12 should be learning reading/writing/math/history, not fast food work," one commenter said.

Other users began tagging the Labor Department.

"'Hey parents! Pay us so we can use your kids for child labor.' – I fixed your flier," another user wrote.

Supporters of the initiative felt the reaction was overblown.

"I’ll go against the grain here. Kudos to you, Chick-Fil-A Hammond. It’s nice to see an offer to teach young children about work ethic and responsibility, while having a little fun at the same time. I’ll ask my daughter if she’s interested in attending," a commenter from Ponchatoula said.

It is important to note that the camp is not a corporate program and is run on a restaurant-by-restaurant basis. 

Representatives from Chick-fil-A told FOX Business that the camp is not for profit and that the kid who participate will not be doing the work of a team member.

"While there are Team Members who serve as camp counselors, other Team Members are continuing to work in the restaurant and ensure guests receive the delicious food and hospitality Chick-fil-A is known for," the representative said, noting that the Hammond program follows in the footsteps of a program started in Houston six years ago.