“The primary goal of camp is to give kids
the best possible experience. To that end, full
disclosure helps camp be better prepared
and to better serve the needs of all campers.”
Camping Association headquartered in Camp in Northern Ontario.
Edmonton, strives for. “Camp health-care providers need ac-
“Accredited camps across the country cess to information about the people for
work hard to nurture relationships with whom they provide direct care,” she ex-
their campers and parents,” she asserts. plains. “Parents have to trust that we will
“Supplying full disclosure can become use the medical information properly. To
easier over time for parents as they be- ensure that trust continues, counsellors
come more comfortable with a particular must understand the confidentiality of
camp. And most camps do a good job of this information.”
partnering with parents to create the Butcher recalls one of her campers
safest environment for campers.” with a muscular weakness disorder that
Rambow laments instances of parents made it hard for her to get up and down
of kids with Attention Deficit Disorder stairs. But no one was made aware of this
(ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperac- prior to her arrival. Once the staff knew
tivity Disorder (ADHD) not fully dis- about her specific challenges, a railing
closing information to the camp. system (at the cabin) was quickly set up
“Some parents decide to give their kids to allow her easy access.
a ‘holiday’ from their medication while at “Had we known about this we would
camp, thinking that symptoms won’t have had made the arrangements earlier
manifest in an active environment,” she and the camper would not have felt ‘sin-
says. “But if behavourial issues do arise, gled out,’ thus avoiding any embarrass-
ment on her part,” Butcher comments.
Full disclosure means sharing infor-
mation beyond health matters. Issues like
bullying at school and home situations,
such as a separation or divorce, or the
death of a loved one must also be part
of an open discussion between parents
and camps.
“If parents feel a camp won’t accept
their child due to social problems or they
are upset and angered by the loss of a
parent or pet, nothing could be further
from the truth,” states Ellen Nash, a
Toronto-based consultant to the Ontario
Camps Association, adding some parents
wonder about the privacy of the informa-
tion they give to a camp.
To that, she says accredited camps (i.e.,
alden ones that have met a minimum level of
standards set out by a provincial camping
association) comply with the Personal In-
formation Protection and Electronic Doc-
Photo: Camp W
uments Act (PIPEDA), and thus are bound
vegetarian), and about any physical and such as a camper’s inappropriate conduct to protect the information they receive
emotional difficulties. with other kids and counsellors, or one is from any unauthorized access and use.
“Honesty from the start will provide a having trouble following instructions, we “The primary goal of camp is to give
basis for an amicable resolution of any need to know what may be the under- kids the best possible experience,” she
dispute later, and minimizes surprises and lying causes. We can’t address problems says. “To that end, full disclosure helps
disappointments,” he remarks. we don’t know about.” camps be better prepared and to better
No sudden cropping up of surprises is The need to know the full story about serve the needs of all campers.” •
a goal Kathryn Rambow, executive di- the campers in her charge is a must for Sam
rector of the 105-member Alberta Butcher, assistant director of Onondaga Jack Kohane is a freelance writer in Toronto, Ont.
www.canadacampsforparents.com Canada Camps for Parents January 2010 Edition 17
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