Camp Readiness & Eligibility

It is our goal to partner with families to ensure that Camp Horizons will be a positive experience for your camper before their enrollment. Safe participation requires specific physical, mental, emotional, and social health abilities, and staff are not specialized in serving individuals with special needs, including those with certain mental, emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties. These requirements are not intended to be exclusionary, but to provide a safe and positive environment for all campers and staff. As each camper’s ability to participate is unique, decisions to accept a participant are made on an individual basis. As such, if your camper meets any of the following, you must contact us before enrolling:

• Has had any physical health concerns that could impact their time at camp (illnesses, broken bones, mobility issues, recent surgeries, etc.)
• Has had any mental health concerns in the last year, including anxiety, depression, etc.
• Has been diagnosed with any learning or behavioral disabilities (autism, ODD, CD, etc.)
• Is in a self-contained classroom or requires an aid at school

Please use the following criteria, developed in accordance with the American Camp Association’s recommendations, as a guide to assess your camper’s readiness for camp. A baseline for participation in our programming, without added accommodations, entails the following:

• Can your camper take care of their own personal hygiene? Campers must know how to wash and brush their own hair, shower independently, and care for their own basic needs.
• Are they in good health, physically and emotionally?
• Are they able to handle the aspects of summer camp, such as living independently in a group setting and sharing a cabin with 8-10 other campers?
• Are they able to handle being in loud, busy environments? If not, do they have the tools to express their needs?
• When angry or upset, are they able to keep calm and express their feelings without becoming physical?
• Have they ever spent more than one night away from home?

We want to make sure that we are right for your camper and family and that your camper can participate in our programs. If your camper currently takes any medication for mood or focus, we encourage them tothey continue that routine they please continue that while at camp. Please do not take them off it.

Camp is a big transition for everyone, and we do not want to change anything that could make it more difficult. We expect all campers to abide by our community agreement.

Any camper whose behavior disrupts their cabin or program will be dismissed without refund.