Daughter working at a camp- my concerns

Parent Cafe
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<p>There must be someone to deal with the meds, but that doesn’t have to be a nurse…</p>

<p>I asked my D very specifically “is there anyone there that is trained to work with these kids, for you to go to with issues, that has talked to you about how to work with these kids, or that works with the kids specifically who are acting out”</p>

<p>No to all of the above- she said the counselors have no resources but each other, and the “leaders” of the camp…who are basically youth ministers given a new job</p>

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<p>It’s so hard to know how to respond to things like this. My daughter worked for years as staff at a two-week camp for girls who largely came out of foster care systems. (This is the first summer in the past five years where she won’t be there.) She faced all the issues CGM is describing, and occasionally the supervision/support/staffing levels were less than optimal, and she felt alone and over her head trying to deal with those problems. On the whole, she did a good (though not necessarily perfect) job, and it was a tremendous learning / growth experience for her. No one suffered any serious injuries, physical or emotional, as far as I know. It never occurred to me to try to pull her out. And it would have damaged my relationship with her if I had.</p>

<p>But she wasn’t ever really alone or unsupervised – there was always experienced support and backup within 200-300 feet, at most. There was someone around who knew what she was doing. Learning to find that person and to ask the right questions: that was part of the learning experience. If that’s really not there in CGM’s situation, I don’t know how I would react.</p>

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<p>I bet the “staff” (the 18-22 y.o.) will be liable when something goes wrong, and one of the kids gets hurt/ raped/ pregnant/ etc. This camp sounds like a disaster in the making for all involved…</p>

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<p>See that is it, if there were people around, staff, that had the training to deal with these kids, I would be fine with it, but they don’t have anyone- 90% of the staff is new to the camp, and they counselors weren’t trained or even given a heads-up</p>

<p>D says the outbursts, the lying, the fake tears, the screaming just to scream, the wanting to fight and lash out, and the manipulation is constant with some of these kids- boys and girls- and there is no-one to go to to get advice</p>

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<p>cgm, this sounds like a place to get your daughter away from. My D was a camp counselor for several years at a wonderful camp at which she had also been a long-time camper, so I do know something about being a camp parent and wht you are describing is not the right thing at all. Even if the counselor canmper ratio is acceptable under ACA standards, it defies common sense in these circumstances. Administration of meds (who can give them out and under what conditions) is presumably regulated by state law and I find it hard to believe that they can be given out by just anyone without written authorization. There are red flags all over the place here. If conscience dictates you might want to find out more about the place and see if the campers are safe, then take the matter to proper authorities if need be, but your first priority is obviously your daughter and she needs to be safe first (and I mean that psychologically and socially as well as physically).</p>

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<p>How many <em>adults</em> are at the camp – over the age of say, 27, 28, 29, 30? With kids with these kinds of issues, I would think that you would need more than the usual . . .</p>

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<p>a correction- its 9-16 year olds, and this first week was supposed to be the easy week- </p>

<p>Not sure, will get more tomorrow when I take D out for her day off…</p>

<p>mattmom, you got it right…it just feels wrong the way the camp is run</p>

<p>and my D is not a quitter and she keeps her commitments, but sometimes, yes, sometimes, the parent needs to suggest very strongly that a person leave a bad situation, which I feel this is…</p>

<p>I have sent an email to the new camp supervisor with all my concerns, we shall see</p>

<p>To be honest, this isn’t just about my D, its about other campers there who are in a situation with kids who have little self control, who scream to scream, who start fights and who say things just to get people in trouble…imagine if your little 8 year old was at this camp, and a counsleor had to spend most of their time dealing with major behavioral issues, so your child didn’t get the camp experience they deserved</p>

<p>I think if the counselors weren’t jsut trying to get through each day, they would be able to see that this is not run well, but as my D said, just getting through it, and hoping for the best</p>

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<p>Check the ACA (American Camping Website). You can find a link there to state regulations. For example: here in Massachusetts camps must be licensed. That is not the case in all states. If the camp is in a state that requires licensing, call the licensing authority and express your concerns. If not, the local board of health could be the most interested party.</p>

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<p>While I do see the potential for a growing or learning experience for someone like cgm’s daughter (and also the potential for her safety to be at risk), with all due respect, the purpose of such camps should not be to provide novice workers with personal growth. The purpose and priority is to provide a meaningful, hopefully life altering, experience to the kids. The most important ingredients to that happening are structure, safety and experienced personnel. Not only are counselors like cgm’s d at risk; but the kids are in a situation where, at best, they get nothing from the experience, and, at worst, are in a position to also be victimized.</p>

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<p>And the other little campers as well, the ones going in all wide eyed for their first time doing an overnight camp…if I knew my little one was at a camp run this way, I would be furious</p>

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<p>Below is the actual list of regulations by state. I am amazed at the number of states that do not require a criminal background check for camp workers. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.acacamps.org/publicpolicy/regulations/csvread-print.pl[/url]”>http://www.acacamps.org/publicpolicy/regulations/csvread-print.pl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>What did you mean when you said, “youth ministers with a new job”?</p>

<p>Do they have no training at all? They might be key if they have training, so that’s a stone to turn over. Their training might be quite relevant, if they’ve taken certain courses. When my H was training to become a clergy, one of his practicum experiences was as a sex educator at Planned Parenthood. They trained him extensively, so never assume. Ministers do a lot more than pray these days!</p>

<p>But honestly, if there’s no training or skill in evidence on-site when she needs it most, I’d be inclined to bail her out of there unless the response to the letter you wrote reassures you.</p>

<p>If the camp is set up that poorly, and didn’t include mention of behavioral management needs kids when they hired her, she owes that camp Nothing.</p>

<p>If she, however, feels differently when you speak tomorrow, then I’d suggest don’t pull her out if it;s against her will.</p>

<p>If she chooses to depart, she could still find some good things to do this summer. Camps don’t pay that well, and even if she finds a minimum wage job at a supermarket and reads in her spare time, it might be a more productive summer for her. My S is moving furniture this summer. Every summer doesn’t have to be so enriching for learning and growth. </p>

<p>I’m all for kids giving back their skills and helping to address society’s problems starting with the smallest children. But to be effective, there MUST be proper supervision and training nearby. Otherwise it is only frustrating, tense, and possibly unsafe for your D.</p>

<p>Find out more. But I’'d feel that, unless you get reassured there’s supervision and trained people on site somewhere, consider an exit.</p>

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<p>my D is working at a camp this summer-in fact I am counting the days! :wink:
( this is her first year as intern- last year she was a junior counselor) it is an ACA camp- and they have a nurse on site that dispenses all medications.
Even if you are trained in CPR, counselors are not allowed to administer first aid but must call for the staff that was hired for that purpose.</p>

<p>This is a Campfire camp and I know they do have special sessions for kids that have health issues- generally allergies/asthma/diabetes.</p>

<p>They do have seperate camps for kids with more severe less common health issues as well, but more along the lines of Paul Newmans hole in the wall gang camps.
I would imagine if this is an accredited camp, that while they might have high need kids there, they will also have other measures in place as well.</p>

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<p>This is the part that makes no sense. Camps typically don’t integrate a “regular” kids with what is the equivalent of a special needs/emotionally needy kids. Usually, there will be separate sessions for kids with emotional, health or other needs, and those camps are well staffed, with nurses, behavioral specialists, docs on call if not on site, college students interested in psychology, etcetc., particularly if kids are acting out or being unsafe.</p>

<p>The whole arrangement is crazy.</p>

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<p>allmusic, you are correct…last year they had a major overhaul of the camp with purging, for whatever reason, old staff…and the word was out the program was not going to happen etc</p>

<p>So my instincts are telling me that they needed campers, and just didn’t think about all the implications, etc of jsut lumping everyone intogether with inexperienced novice counselors and no professional- ie therapists on staff</p>

<p>and as my D said, the first session was the “test” or guiniee (sp?) session, with more and more at risk kids on the subsequent sessions</p>

<p>is is crazy, and poorly planned and down right scary</p>

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<p>Update: picked up D for her day off, I showed her an email with my concerns that I had sent to the camp…she broke down and cried for a long time…it was sobs of sadness, relief, anger, etc…</p>

<p>She shared some of what was happening at the camp. They had jsut kicked out two ten year old girls for their behavior, along with a couple others of various ages.</p>

<p>My D then told me that in the next session, they are having twice the number of campers, and no extra staff, so it would be one counselor for every ten campers (it was 1-5 ratio before), with 80% from group and foster homes. She said there was no therapist at the camp, and no mention of anyone coming in.</p>

<p>She said she felt conflicted-she had really helped some campers, but was afraid of what was going to happen at the next session with double the campers and 4 times the at risk kids.</p>

<p>So, I told her I really didn’t want her going back, neither did her father…that I was concerned for her safety</p>

<p>So, she is finishing this week and will not be returning, what they were asking of the counslelors was so over their heads, and they were trying to run things on the cheap. I dropped off a hard copy of my email this morning at the camp, and have heard nothing back from anyone</p>

<p>Oh yeah, the 7am-10pm days didn’t help, and with more kids, there would be much less time off for short breaks etc.</p>

<p>So that is that. She is putting out the word for a new job and when she comes back, she wants to find another organzition she can volunteer at to help kids</p>

<p>I will be following through with the legal aspects of what they are doing, as I am concerned for the safety of the campers</p>

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<p>Citygirlsmom- what a terrible situation. Have you thought about calling your state’s version of Department of Children and Youth Services?</p>

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<p>cgm, thank you for the update; I hope your daughter will be okay the ret of the week and that the campers too will be safe. Good luck with your effort to address the legal aspects of the situation–there seems to be a really egregious problem at camp whether legal or “just” ethical.</p>

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<p>Glad to hear that your D is coming home, and that you are following up on the legal (or lack there of) aspects of that situation CGM. Something about it stinks to high heaven.</p>

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<p>I work at a rather high end camp for a week or two most summers. </p>

<p>All music-special needs kids are integrated, though where I work they must have interest in the camp focus. We’ve had many diabetics, kids with seizure histories, one in a wheelchair needing an attendant, my own D with peanut allergy. As with the schools in general, mainstreaming is a big part of education these days. And the emotional needs…I could write a book. But, there is a line on our camp health form about the importance of being prepared for group living. Campers are not allowed to endanger the health or rights of other campers, and are removed from the program if they do so, if even for an hour or a day, and home if not compatible with camp life. Counselors need back up, from the camp director, the camp nurse, and other senior staff. Acting out kids should not be left in the program to diminish the experience of others. </p>

<p>Most camps have a nurse, though occasionally a health aid, to dispense meds and deal with health and safety issues. The nursing shortage and inability of camps to pay can make finding nurses difficult. On the camp health form there usually is reference to the home physician, if not therapists and so on, and nurses can make contact with these professionals as necessary. </p>

<p>It sounds as if this place got more than bargained for with the population they took on. Hopefully the camp director is getting a grip on the situation. With that ratio, hard to see it happening.They need to keep kids busy and supervised. Too much idle time is a disaster in the making. </p>

<p>Glad your D is safe and home. Working in a camp is exhausing and taxing at the best of times, and her experience sounds like a nightmare. Camp is magic though, part of why I keep going back. The outdoor setting, the closeness of human relationships, the creativity, hopefully the music and singing everywhere. Hope she can work at another camp and find that magic.</p>