See Your Child’s Doctor

Before sending your camper off, you will want to take your child to the doctor for a thorough exam. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that you provide the camp with a complete review of your child’s health. The review should include information about recent or ongoing illnesses, surgeries or injuries, and allergies. Make sure your child is current with all recommended immunizations. If your child will be traveling internationally as part of the camp, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for information about particular immunizations or health concerns for their destination.

What If My Child Has Special Needs?

If your child has a special circumstance, such as an ongoing illness, work with your child’s doctor and the camp to create a plan. Your child’s doctor can help you determine if your child is able to attend camp safely. If your child takes any medicines or needs treatments, work with the camp and your child’s doctor to make a plan for how medicines and treatments will be handled.

What If My Child Has Food Allergies?

If your child has a food allergy, you may worry that they will have a hard time choosing safe foods while at camp. Ask the camp about food storage, preparation, and cleaning policies. You may be able to send food with your child. If your child uses an epinephrine autoinjector (such as an EpiPen) to deal with allergic reactions, make sure they know how to use it. Talk to the camp staff and be sure they know how to administer it to your child if needed.

What If My Child Gets Homesick?

Homesickness can be a concern for campers and parents alike. Take these steps to avoid homesickness:

• Involve your child—A child who is involved in choosing and preparing for camp may be more excited and face less homesickness.
• Be open—Discussing homesickness openly can help you and your child to be realistic about what it will be like to be away from home.
• Be positive—Encourage your child. Share your happy memories of camp when you were a child.
• Practice—If your child is especially worried about homesickness, arrange for them to stay away from home with relatives or friends to practice.

Avoid making “pick-up” arrangements with your child. These can undermine their confidence and ability to have a good time at camp. If you are truly worried that your child will become homesick, ask the camp how they deal with homesickness.

Accredited by the American Camp Association

Consider choosing a camp with American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation. This means your child’s camp has been reviewed by the ACA and meets up to 300 standards covering everything from staff training to emergency preparedness.

Prepared for Medical Emergencies

Be sure that the camp you choose for your child is ready to handle any medical emergencies. The AAP recommends that all camps have policies and procedures to deal with medical emergencies. Your child’s camp should meet these requirements:

• Written health policies that have been approved by a pediatrician or family doctor
• Policies to deal with infectious outbreaks, like the flu
• Knowledge about local health hazards, such as Lyme disease
• Staff that has been properly trained to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if there is one on campus
• Staff that is certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Camp records have emergency contact information for every camper

Ready to Treat Common Camp Illnesses

Any camp you consider should be knowledgeable in treating the illnesses that most commonly plague campers, including:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Asthma and allergies
• Lice
• Poison ivy
• Insect bites and stings
• Head injury and concussion

Eager to Answer All Your Questions

The Better Business Bureau gives these tips for finding a camp that is right for you and your child:

• Visit the camp before submitting a deposit. Check out sleeping and bathing areas. Try to get a feel for the commitment of the staff.
• Ask about fees. Is your deposit refundable? Are there extra fees for special activities?
• Does the camp conduct background checks on all employees?
• Ask about the medical facilities, especially if your child has special medical needs.
• Ask about safety procedures. How does the camp enforce safety rules?
• Ask for references from parents who have sent their children to the camp.

If the answers to these questions do not satisfy you, considering choosing another camp for your child.

Committed to Keeping Your Child Healthy While at Camp

The AAP recommends that all camps provide a healthy diet for campers. Camps should follow the federal guidelines for school nutrition. Water for drinking should be available for campers throughout the day. Sugary drinks, including sports drinks, should be limited. Also, campers should get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day—though most will get much more!

Camp can be a great experience for you and your child. Be sure to do your homework to make sure you are choosing a camp that is a good fit for you and your child. When you are confident that you have chosen the right camp and that your child is ready, you can send them off with peace of mind!