Summer camp, whether overnight camp or day camp, is a time for kids to experience recreational fun balanced with growing independence.
When making a choice about the camps your child will attend, it’s important to know what to ask. More than likely you will be asking questions about the daily schedule and how they handle homesick campers, first aid and other safety considerations, as well as policies related to bullying and personal devices. But what about some of the tougher questions? Are you asking about the training that the camp staff receive? Are they trained in child sexual abuse prevention? Have they been trained in Stewards of Children®? Are you asking your children about “what if” situations? Do your children understand their own personal boundaries and how to reinforce them when you aren’t around?
This all might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Darkness to Light is here to help.
Our Summer Camp Toolkit
Whether you are a parent or caregiver to a child who is experiencing summer camp OR you are a concerned adult who lives in a community that operates a summer camp, we have put together a Summer Camp Toolkit to help ensure that all of the children in your life have a positive and joyful time at summer camp.
Are you a parent or caregiver?
- Send this letter to the camp director of the camp your child is attending. Be sure to personalize it with the camp’s name and sign it with your contact information so they can reach out to you if they have further questions. 
- Feel free to also share our Summer Camp Safety Checklist with the camp (it’s a great resource for them to share with other parents) AND be sure to use it to prepare yourself and your own camper. *Each box can be checked off as you go!
- Take our Stewards of Children® training yourself so that you can recommend it to the camp director and staff as a way to protect not only your camper but all of the campers.
Is your child already at summer camp? Have they already finished their summer camp session? That’s ok – these questions and resources should be just the beginning of a child protection journey for all of the adults in a child’s life. You’ll be better prepared for their next adventure!
Are you a concerned adult who has summer camp programs in your community?
- Send this letter to the camp director of the camp in your community. Be sure to personalize it with the camp’s name and sign it with your contact information so they can reach out to you if they have further questions.
- Feel free to also share our Summer Camp Safety Checklist with the camp (it’s a great resource for them to share with other parents). Are there children in your life attending summer camp? Share this checklist with their parents.
- Take our Stewards of Children® training yourself so that you can recommend it to the camp director and staff as a way to protect all of the campers.
We all play a role in the protection of children. When we use the 5 Steps to Protecting Children™ we become more aware of the scope of the issue of child sexual abuse, we are better prepared to take actionable steps toward both preventing and responding to abuse, and we ultimately create safer environments for the children our lives.
NOW AVAILABLE!
Look for our new training created just for camp counselors! It focuses on prevention, just as you would expect a Darkness to Light training to do, through the use of actionable outcomes that counselors can immediately apply. Our curriculum team has designed it with gamification, simulation and easier to consume language that engages a younger audience of camp counselors. Learn more at d2l.org/camp
