I just returned from seminar on camp accreditation and wanted to share more about this process so parents can use this information when looking for a summer camp for their child. Although our own camp had been accredited over thirty years, it amazes me to see all that involved in running an accredited program and here are some key factors parents should consider when looking at sending their child to camp.
What is an Accredited Camp?
An accredited camp is one that has met industry accepted and government recognized standards for the American Camp Association. The American Camp Association (ACA) establishes guidelines for policies, procedures and practices, all of which must be met before a camp can become ACA accredited.
Being an accredited camp is extremely important because it helps maintain a safe and high quality environment for all campers and staff. ACA has 50 years of experience in creating and administering a standards program, which is created specifically for camps.
Requirements for becoming and maintaining an ACA accreditation are extremely high, and camps must comply with 300 industry standards in health, safety and program quality. Once camps have become ACA accredited they continue to receive support from experts in the field by going through the accreditation process every 3 years in order to maintain the best practices and improve the quality of their program.
Why Choose an Accredited Camp
Sending campers to a camp that is ACA accredited offers parents a level of assurance that this camper is committed to the safety children. Accreditation shows that the camp both adheres to and implements the highest standards for safety, health, program for all campers and staff. This lets camper parents know that the camp cares about the successful development of children, and offers a supervised, safe environment in the outdoors. While there are lots of camp programs out there, and it is our hope that parents can appreciate the level of care accredited camps provide. We encourage you to learn more about the American Camp Association and camp accreditation.
For more information about the American Camp Association see:
http://www.acacamps.org/
http://www.acacamps.org/accreditation/learn-about-accreditation
http://www.acacamps.org/sites/default/files/images/accreditation/tell_me_more.pdf
