10
Summer Camp Safety Tips for Parents
By Michelle Annese
Tip!
Most summer camps require their camp counselors to have experience
facilitating summer camps, and also give priority to people with
experience as school counselors. At the very least, you must be 18
years old or older.
1. Is the camp ACA (American Camp
Association) accredited? Although accreditation does not assure
safety, and some states, have more rigorous safety requirements,
accreditation is a very good place to start. The ACA evaluates many
standards concerning safety, health, program and camp operations, and
provides support to over 2,200 camps.
2. "Staff Training" or "Counselor
Orientation" programs are not all the same. To understand what the
counselors are taught, and by whom, you may want to see the training
curriculum and training materials. |
Heartattack Warning |
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3. Your child's safety and well-being
directly depends on the type of counselors the camp hires. Counselors
are the individuals living and eating with, and supervising, your
child 24 hours a day. Ask about the camp's screening process, and
review the materials the camp has gathered concerning the counselors,
including their biographical backgrounds (and ages), their swimming,
driving and criminal records, and their prior employment histories
(for example, has a counselor previously been fired elsewhere?). You
may also want to know what percentage of the counselors are teachers
and/or parents, and what percentage possess a current cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) certificate and/or are trained in first aid?
Tip!
There are now close to 9 000 kids summer camps operating in the USA
and Canada and more internationally, giving a huge choice in terms
of length of stay, program and location. If you have a child with
special needs, whether they be ophysical, intellectual or health
related, there are a great range of options still open to you.
4. Not all camps discipline staff or
children attending the camp, in the same manner. You may want to learn
the camp's discipline policies and ask certain questions: (a) does it
enforce a written policy of zero tolerance for drug use or alcohol
abuse (are counselors fired after first time drug use/alcohol abuse is
discovered?); (b) does it enforce a written staff and/or child curfew
and, if so, what time?; and (c) has it fired counselors before and
why? FLU SYMTOMS
5. Find out if there have been prior
deaths or serious injuries at the camp. You may want to learn what
happened and what the camp has done in response.
6. For all out-of-camp trips,
particularly hikes and excursions, does there exist a specific
protocol? You may want to ensure that the camp requires (a) a trip
leader qualified to Respond To Emergencies ("RTE") (as required in
some states) (this Red Cross certification requires significant hours
of specialized training); (b) counselors to bring with them
communication devices; (c) the counselor-in-charge to be over a
certain age; (d) a buddy system to be employed; (e) a lost camper plan
to be followed; and (f) a parental permission slip to be signed.
Tip!
There are varied bodies which accredit summer camps, the ACA
(American Camping Association) being the largest and best recognized.
A large percentage of camps are not accredited, but this does not
for a moment mean that they aren't great camps.
7. Has the camp identified possible
major threats to the camp, staff, or guests? Do they have an emergency
plan?
· Environmental threats —
earthquakes, hurricanes, forest fires, dam collapses, and tornadoes. ·
Security threats — hostile parents or visitors, hostage situations,
verbalized threats, and child abduction. · Health threats —
intentional or unintentional food poisoning or water contamination,
child abuse, communicable disease outbreaks, staff death, and
group-wide emotional stress resulting from a catastrophic event. ·
Off-site hazards — off-site trips, airports, nuclear power plants, and
dangerous wildlife.
8. All camps should have written
health policies and protocols that have been approved by a physician
with a particular knowledge of children's health, preferably a
pediatrician.
9. Camp authorities should be
responsible for describing to the parents the activities and programs
and the health services available at the camp. Parents should be aware
of the preadmission medical requirements at the time of registration.
10. Before the child's first day of
summer camp, parents or guardians should provide the camp
authorities with a health history, including the child's significant
previous illnesses, operations, injuries, allergies, present state of
health, and current medical problems. Also, orders from a licensed
health care professional should be obtained for prescription
medications, diets, or special medical devices such as inhalers or
nebulizers. |