Questions for Evaluating a Summer Camp

Once you've narrowed down your list of possibilities, the real detective work begins. Don't make your decision solely on a glossy brochure, a slick video, or a bubbly camp representative. Check it out for yourself.

Obviously, you can't see an overnight summer camp in action during the winter, but you can find out a lot about the facility and the summer camp activities by asking the right questions of parents whose children have gone there and of the camp director. The Questionnaire for Evaluating Summer Camps will help in your search.

Accreditation

One question to ask is whether the camp you're considering is accredited by the American Camping Association. To earn accreditation, a camp must comply with up to 300 industry standards for health, safety, and program quality. These standards address everything—from the director's background to how foods are prepared and stored. There are additional standards applied to aquatics, horseback riding, travel, and trip programs. At least once every three years, a team of trained ACA representatives observes the camp in session to verify compliance.

Of the approximately 8,500 camps, only about 2,200 have earned ACA accreditation. Those numbers include more resident than day camps. Lack of accreditation does not mean a camp isn't good, but if a camp isn't accredited, it's worth asking why. It might not be as important to you if the camp you are considering is in your community and you can check it out for yourself. If you are sending your child to a resident camp for part of the summer, it's reassuring to know that it meets certain standards.

Staff Qualifications

Key to your child's safety at camp are the qualifications and experience of the staff.

The Director

Find out the camp director's educational and career background. ACA suggests he or she have earned at least a bachelor's degree, have completed in-service training within the last three years, and have at least 16 weeks of camp administrative experience.

Counselors

Ask the average age of the counselors and what certification and experience they have. Many camps hire high school and college students. ACA recommends that at least 80 percent of the program counselors be 18 or older. Any counselor under 18 should be at least two years older than the camper she is supervising.

Find out what percentage are returning counselors from past years. Some staff turnover is natural, but the ACA reports that at most camps, between 40 and 60 percent of the staff return each year. If the rate is lower, ask why.

Inquire about the camp's procedure for background checks as well as the training and supervision the counselors receive. Camp policies to protect children from physical or sexual abuse generally dictate that counselors work in pairs.

Staff-to-Camper Ratios

Ask about the ratio of counselors to campers. It should be based on the ages of the campers and their special needs. (Campers with disabilities, for example, need more staff.)

Here are the ACA recommendations for resident camps:

• One staffer for every six campers ages 6 to 8.
• One staffer for every eight campers ages 9 to 14.
• One staffer for every 10 campers ages 15 to 18.

For day campers the recommendations are:

• One staffer for every eight campers ages 6 to 8.
• One staffer for every 10 campers ages 9 to 14.
• One staffer for every 12 campers ages 15 to 18.

Do Their Campers Return?

Inquire about the camper return rate. Not every camper wants to go back to the same place the following summer, but a large number of returning campers probably is a sign that the children and their parents were highly satisfied with the camp's offerings and the way it is operated.

This is more important to know when evaluating resident camps than day camps. Children change their choice of day camps more frequently in order to find more variety or to be with their friends.

Medical Accommodations

Find out about the camp's medical resources. Is there a full-time nurse? Is there a doctor on call? How close is the nearest hospital and the nearest ambulance service? What are the camp's protocols about when parents are called if their child is ill or injured?

If your child has special medical requirements, ask the camp staff how they would be handled. Is there appropriate storage for medications, for example? Can the cafeteria provide special foods for children on restricted diets? What accommodations are made for children with allergies? If, for example, a student carries an injection to be administered in case of bee sting, will all his counselors know how to use it so that precious minutes aren't wasted taking the child to the nurse?

Ask if the staff is trained to recognize the difference between homesickness and depression.

Transportation

Many day camps provide bus transportation to and from their facility morning and afternoon. Buses also may be used for field trips. Some resident camps provide bus service from metropolitan locations. If your child will be using the camp's bus or van, ask how often the vehicles are inspected by mechanics. Find out the drivers' qualifications and if there are any ongoing training or safety programs.

The Facility

If you want to take the extra step of visiting the camp before enrolling your child, find out if any open houses are scheduled. You won't see the camp in operation, but you can observe firsthand whether the facility is well-maintained and possibly meet some of the staff.

Water Safety

Whether you visit or not, find out where kids will be swimming—either a pool or a natural body of water—and if the water is monitored for bacteria. Is there a shallow area marked off for kids who are still learning to swim? Are swimming lessons offered? Are lifeguards certified in lifesaving always present when campers are in the water?

If boating is offered, ask whether counselors are always in the boats with campers. Do campers have to pass a test before they take boats out on their own?

Other High-Risk Activities

For any high-risk activity your child might engage in at camp—from rock climbing to white-water rafting—make a point of asking questions about protective equipment, staff training, and safety precautions.

If your child will be riding horses, for example, he should wear a helmet. Ask if the camp requires this.

Food Handling

State health departments or other regulatory bodies should be responsible for making sure camps prepare and store food safely, but enforcement may be spotty. Ask about food handling, both in the camp cafeteria and when meals are sent out with campers on trips.

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Child Safety © 2000 by Miriam Bacher Settle, Ph.D., and Susan Crites Price. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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