Tips On Choosing An Appropriate Summer Camp For Your Children
Overview | Getting Started | Questions to Ask | Before You Decide | For More Information
Overview
Summer Camp allows children to learn and play in a healthy, secure, and friendly environment. Some of the questions a parent should ask when looking for a camp that has been permitted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are:
• Is summer camp what I really want for my child?
• Do I want it to be close to home or work?
• Do the hours fit my schedule?
• Would I feel comfortable leaving my child there?
• Can I afford it?
Parents will answer these questions differently according to their situation and the needs of their child. However, there are some basics things that all parents should look for in a camp. The following document, prepared by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation, tells you what some of those things are and suggests how you can find them.
Getting Started
- • Ask the operator of the camp you are interested in if he or she has applied for a permit from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
- • Get referrals from other parents, friends or relatives who have had experience with a particular camp.
- • Use this website or request a copy of the Department’s summer camp directory to find a conveniently located camp.
- • Visit different campsites and speak with different camp directors to determine which one most closely meets your child’s needs.
- • Choose a program that fosters a healthy and safe environment, while providing a variety of recreational activities.
- • Start early. Many camps begin their registration period as early as January.
Questions to Ask
- • What is the enrollment process and fees?
- • What are the hours of operation? Is before and/ or after care services available?
- • What is the camp’s reimbursement policy?
- • Does the camp provide transportation? If so, what type?
- • Will the camp provide lunch for my child? If not, how will lunch from home be properly stored?
- • Does the camp provide swim instruction or other aquatic activities? If so, how will my child’s safety be ensured?
- • How does the camp screen its employees?
- • How does the camp handle medical or other emergencies?
- • Will the children be supervised at all times, both indoors and outdoors? What are the ratios of counselors to campers?
- • May I have a tour of the camp facilities? (Look for visible safety hazards, such as peeling paint or broken equipment).
- • What is the camp’s discipline policy?
Before You Decide
- • Compare all the camps you visited. Consider which sites possessed the qualities most important to you and your child.
- • Make sure that the camp has its permit or is in the process of getting its permit.
- • Call the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation at 212-442-2630 if you still have questions.
- • When possible, visit the camp one more time before making your decision.
- • Ask yourself: Will I be comfortable leaving my child here?
For More Information
- • Call 311 to make a complaint regarding safety or sanitary issues at a camp.
- • Call (212) 442-2630 for more information on summer camp regulations or to get a camp directory mailed to you.
- • To receive a copy of a NYC camp’s most recent inspection report, contact the DOHMH Records Access Officer at (212) 788-5010 or fax your request to (212) 788-4315.
- • Go to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website to find a camp near your home or work: www.nyc.gov/health and click on Health Topics A to Z, click on D and click on Day Camps.
- • Call 311 for information on HRA vouchers for camps.
- • For Resources for Children with Special Needs call: 212-677-4650
- • To report an incident of child abuse call the Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720 (Outside New York State 518-474-8740)
- • Contact the American Camping Association for more information on camping: website: www.aca-ny.org
Last Update: May 4, 2006
