Choosing a Summer Camp

Looking for a camp that will offer your child a safe, happy opportunity to develop new skills this summer? Start with the basics: Ask the director of any camp you’re considering how long it’s been operating and what licenses it has.

If the camp is accredited by the American Camp Association, you can be assured that the day camp or sleep away camp on your list has satisfied the nonprofit organization’s more than 300 standards on health, safety, facilities, programs and staffing.

However, many good programs are too new or too small to get ACA accreditation, which costs money and staff time. Even an accredited camp can be a poor match for your child.

Here are some basic questions:

1. The camp’s philosophy:

• Is it one you’re comfortable with?
• Is it a good match for your child’s needs?
• Is the emphasis on competition or cooperation?
• If it’s run by a religious organization, what religious practices are part of the program?
• If it’s a sports camp affiliated with a celebrity athlete, will the person actually be there?

2. The Camp’s Staff:

• How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff?
• Do counselors have background checks?
• Do counselors have formal first aid training?

3. Return rates:

• At most camps, 40-60 percent of the staff returns. If lower, ask why.
• Camper return? Fifty percent is good.

4. Ratio of counselors to campers:

• ACA guidelines for overnight camps call for a 1:6 ratio for ages 7 and 8, 1:8 for ages 9-14; and 1:10 for ages 15-18.
• Day camp guidelines call for 1:8 for children ages 6-8; 1:10 for children ages 9-14; and 1:12 for ages 15-18.

5. Age of counselors: The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.
6. Medical staff at camp and medical facilities available: The ACA recommends that an overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site every day, and that day camps should have direct phone access. If your child takes medication, has food allergies or a chronic medical condition, be sure that the camp will be able to handle your child’s needs.
7. Camp discipline and conflict resolution: What are the camp’s rules and what would result send a camper home. Are the camp’s standards reasonable.
8. Typical daily schedule: What is the level of physical activity, the amount of time devoted to arts and crafts and is the child able to choose his/her activities.
9. Transporting campers: Vehicles used, how often inspected who drives them and what training do the drivers have?
10. References: Get the names of parents with children of the same age who have attended the camp. You’ll be able to get a fuller view of the camp and ask ‘Is there anything you didn’t like about the camp?’