SUMMER CAMP PARENT INFORMATION

Summer Camp Parent Information Kids swimming underwater at DARIEN YMCA CAMP

 

**These policies and procedures are subject to change as new information or best practices evolve and change from local health department, the OEC, CDC, and ACA. **

Updated:  03/30/2022

The Darien YMCA Summer Camp is licensed by the CT Office of Early Childhood (OEC).  Working with the OEC, CDC, American Camp Association (ACA) and the Darien Health Department, we have put together a set of guidelines and procedures that must be adhered to by ALL campers, staff and parents in order to provide the safest camp experience for everyone.

Masks:  The Darien YMCA Summer Camp Program is licensed by the Office of Early Childhood.  As of February 28, 2022, parents, students and staff will have the option to choose whether or not to wear a mask.  While the local health department continues to recommend masks, they will no longer be required.  We will support each family’s decision on what you feel is best for your child.

Drop off & Pick Up:  Parents will be asked to stay in their car during pick up and drop off.  You will be asked a series of Health Screening questions prior to child getting out of the car.   The child will be required to take a ‘pump’ of hand sanitizer on the way to meet their group if the health screening is passed.   Drop off and Pick Up procedures will be outlined and distributed to Preschool Camp, Gymnastics Camp, Afternoon Navigators and School Age Camp prior to camp.  Parents must adhere to the drop off and pick up times.  If you need to drop off or pick up a child during non-drop off times, please call (203) 415-0361 at Hindley or (917) 860-9315 at the YMCA.  You will wait in the drop off circle at Hindley or the YMCA and someone will come get your child or will bring your child to you.

Lunch:  Campers will keep their lunches with them in their classroom/designated group area.  Parents must place an ice pack in their child’s lunch if they have anything perishable.  We will not be able to refrigerate lunches.

Snack:  Campers should bring a snack during the day.  The snack should be labeled "snack" so that it is not eaten during lunch time.

Bathrooms:  Our staff will clean and disinfect the bathrooms periodically throughout the day

Walking to and from Hindley & the YMCA:   Children will walk the .5 miles along the Post Road.  Additional staff will accompany them.  Each group will be provided a rope that children will hold onto the whole walk.  In the event of a rainy day, intermittent rain or extremely hot days with poor air quality, we will cancel swimming & boating and do other activities at Hindley.  If a group goes to the YMCA and it begins to rain, they will remain at the YMCA to wait out the rain.  In the event it doesn’t stop, we will alert parents via email that pick up for that group will be at the YMCA.

Field Trips:  We are excited to bring back field trips to summer camp.  A Field Trip Schedule and Permission Form will be provided to each camper prior to the start of camp.

Extended Care:  Extended Care will be offered in the afternoon from 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM.  Registration can be done online or at the YMCA front desk.  You must register for the full week and drop ins WILL NOT be allowed.  Please register ahead of time as space is limited.  School Age Campers will be bused from Hindley to the YMCA at 3:30 PM.

Sick Child/Staff: 

  • If someone begins to feel ill while at camp, they will be brought to the Camp First Aider privately to be evaluated
  • Sick person will be isolated, camper or staff will be required to leave camp if a temperature over 100.0 is recorded. If a fever is present and the ill person is sent home, they will be allowed to return after being 48 hours fever free without the aid of medicine so long as:
    • no other COVID related symptoms become present
    • they pass the health screening in the morning
    • Other illnesses such as cough will be evaluated on a case by case basis
  • If we are informed of a positive COVID-19 test, an email will be sent to the families of that group
  • The Camp will follow CDC guidance on how to disinfect our building or facility if someone is diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • We will contact the OEC and the local health department to guide us through the risk assessment and contact tracing process
  • We will exclude the child(ren) and staff member(s) who are determined to have had close contact with the affected child/staff member for 14 days after the last day they had contact with the affected child/staff member.
  • If your child shows symptoms of COVID-19 and tests positive within one week of leaving camp, please inform us so we can help with community contact tracing.

Reportable Cases

COVID-19 was added to the List of Reportable Diseases. Those required to report such diseases must report cases of COVID-19 infection immediately to the Connecticut Department of Public Health and to the local department of health in the town of residence of the case-patient by telephone on the day of recognition or strong suspicion of the disease. The COVID19 report form is available on the DPH website at https://dphsubmissions.ct.gov/Covid/InitiateCovidReport

Other Illnesses At Camp

  • Campers and staff who become ill will at camp will be evaluated by the Camp First Aider.
  • If a fever is present and the ill person is sent home, they will be allowed to return after being 48 hours fever free without the aid of medicine so long as:
    • no other COVID related symptoms become present
    • they pass the health screening in the morning

As is the case with any other year, we will defer to our on call camp physician consultant, Dr. Philip Negus of Stamford Medical Group in Darien, if a judgement call needs to be made on specific and immediate health related decisions.

For injuries unrelated to illness, our Camp First Aider will treat them according to our general “standing orders”.  The Camp First Aider will use appropriate PPE and follow cleaning protocols in between campers for all cases of illness and injury.  Please note:  The health and safety of all our families relies on the honesty and intentionality of how we treat illness and suspected illness.  We will be honest with you and do our best to keep your campers safe, but it will take all of us acting responsibly with abundant caution to make it possible.

At Home Precautions

We are asking that all staff and children adhere to the following guidelines for at home precautions:

  • Take your temperature before coming to camp.  If over 100.3, please stay home.
  • Come to camp each day with freshly laundered clothes, including outerwear if necessary
  • Wash hands, shower, and clean soft surfaces immediately like towels, backpacks, lunchboxes, etc
  • Monitor if symptoms develop
  • Use social distancing protocols and masks, while in public or around people

Camper & Staff Hygiene:  Most classrooms at the YMCA and Hindley have sinks in them.  Counselors will also have plenty of hand sanitizer for their group.  Campers will wash their hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering camp, in between activities, before and after lunch, before and after using shared equipment and after sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose.

Enhanced Cleaning:  We will be enhancing our cleaning and sanitizing procedures throughout the YMCA, Hindley and our camp specific areas indoors and out. These procedures will be consistent with best practice and guidelines presented by the ACA in conjunction with Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc, Y-USA, and local health. We will update cleaning procedures, as necessary.

*Please note and understand that any of the above mentioned policies may change or be added to, based on guidance from the local health, state health departments, Y Alliance, Office of Early Childhood or otherwise determined by the Camp Directors of the Darien YMCA to promote and maintain the health and wellbeing of our campers, staff and members.*