For many families, the end of summer signals back to school, however for an equal number of parents, September also represents summer camp recruitment for new campers and reenlistment for those campers returning next summer. Although the priority for most parents and caregivers is how well their children will acclimate to the grind of the current school year, choosing the right summer camps, while many months away, is a critical choice that needs to be made quickly before enrollment in select camps are exhausted. Summer camps, particularly the more popular ones, are already accepting deposits as far out as the Summer of 2025.
In a previous Integrated Security Services blog, The Lurking Dangers of Summer Camps, we discovered that parents put lots of unchecked good faith behind summer camps to manage their child’s health and welfare for several weeks, if not the entire summer. While most sleep away camps begin accepting campers at 8-9 years of age, some camps are now accepting emotionally mature campers as young as 6-7. Upon reviewing how parents selected a particular camp for their children, our investigators discovered that parents sidestepped critical due diligence practices opting for more organic referrals as their vetting method. As a result, we discovered too often parents didn’t know who they were handing their children over to and whether there were enough safeguards in place to protect their children. While organic referrals play an important role in deciding the best camp for your children, there is a complex dynamic associated with communal living not limited to leadership, supervision, pre-employment hiring practices, and emergency preparedness protocols that must not be overlooked.
Our investigation found that there were no standardized set of camp guidelines and regulations, and each state determines their own licensing and compliance requirements. For instance, in New York State, camps must obtain a permit to operate from the New York State Department of Health, and the DOH inspects the campgrounds twice a year. There is no New York State regulation requiring operators of summer camps to conduct background checks on the employees they hire. While some staff return year after year, many are seasonally hired to accommodate operational attrition. California does not require a license to operate a summer camp, nor do they require background checks. In Florida, summer camps are not regulated or inspected but are required to have all staff cleared through background checks, which includes a criminal records search. The reality is that most camps operate completely at their own discretion with little to no oversight.
According to a published article titled Children’s Day Camps: Attend at Your Own Risk, by Elizabeth Aguilera on June 16, 2022 in CalMatters, a California website dealing with social and economic issues, day camps and sleepover camps are not required to conduct employee background checks, be licensed by the State of California, require CPR certification or report injuries or deaths to the state. Furthermore, according to the article, no state agency conducts inspections for child safety, audits lifeguard certifications or reviews safety plans for activities, such as zip lining, swimming, and shooting guns.
As mentioned, traditional day camps and sleepover camps must obtain a permit from the New York State Department of Health, and are inspected twice per year, but according to a press release called When Choosing a Summer Camp For Your Child Make Sure The Camp is Safe, by Jess Michaels of the American Camp Association of NY and NJ, not all summer camps are inspected due to a loophole that exists under current New York State Law. For example, single-purpose day camps such as gymnastics camp or baseball camp are not required by law to follow the same rules as traditional summer camps. According to Scott Ralls, President of the American Camp Association of New York, and New Jersey, “not all summer day camps are regulated,” so parents need to do their due diligence when looking for a camp and make sure they are choosing a camp that is inspected by the DOH and is accredited by the American Camp Association of NY and NJ.
Summer camps must prioritize security and safety to ensure the well-being of all participants, not limited to, counselors, athletic directors, maintenance staff, food service staff, and volunteers. At the very least, all the positions mentioned, should be subjected to a reasonable background investigation, not limited to criminal record checks, social media checks and 3-years past employment references.
Equally as important is how the camp owners train their staff, what that includes, who is responsible for that and what are the mandatory hiring requirements such as: Basic First Aid/CPR/AED, Sexual Harassment training, Bullying Awareness, and emergency preparedness training. These are the fundamental skills for any institution responsible for the lodging and recreational care of minors.
Further, parents have a right to know if day camps or sleepovers have training materials in place that are updated on a yearly basis. Does your camp have a comprehensive emergency response plan for various scenarios such as medical emergencies, natural weather disasters and security threats. Don’t take any of the above for granted! While this should be a basic operating standard for any camp operator, many choose to cut corners, maximize profits and adopt a reactive approach to emergencies.
Just recently over 70,000 people attending a popular outdoor music camp/festival in the Nevada desert were trapped for over three days without proper food, water, medical supplies caused by an extreme weather condition. Additionally subpar sanitary conditions added critical stress to an already weakened infrastructure. After 37-years of hosting this event, it is hard to comprehend how the promoters, organizers and the staff never anticipated and/or planned for the possibility of a traumatic weather event.
At Integrated Security Services we recognize that vetting a summer camp has been made more complicated due to the relatively autonomous and unregulated requirements by the state and federal government. We will continue to address and update you on any changes in future blogs, especially as the camp season nears. That said, we welcome any opportunity to assist parents and caregivers with background investigations related to camp owners, stakeholders and executive managers, not limited to DOH Violation search, criminal background checks on all principals, civil litigation history, bankruptcy, lien and judgment filings and a full array of social media vetting.
Our investigative staff, with over 30-years of experience have been advising private schools, nonprofits and religious organizations on their security and investigative needs and are always available for a free consultation. We can be reached toll free 888-809-9119 or by visiting our website at www.intesecurity.com.
