Summer Camp Parent Information

Session Rates for 2025

Each unit has its own designated checkout space. After presenting your Photo ID staff will radio for your camper to be brought up to you.

During PM Care campers are with their unit for PM Care Rotations around camp.

PICK-UP POLICY

Anyone picking up a camper must be listed on the child’s Authorized Pick-Up List and must have either:

• A photo uploaded to campsite as an authorized pick-up. Please note that you may still be asked for a valid photo ID even with a photo uploaded to campsite.
• A valid photo ID. Acceptable forms of ID include: Driver’s license or state non-driver ID, passport or military ID, or an employment identification card.

LATE PICK-UP POLICY

If a child is not picked up by 6 pm. YMCA staff will notify authorized individuals for pick up.

There is a charge of $1.00 per minute/per child for any camper remaining after 6 pm.

If an authorized pick-up cannot be reached within 2 hours of the scheduled pick-up time, the Monroe, Ontario, or Steuben County Protective Agency will be notified.

AUTHORIZED PICK-UPS

To change authorized pick-ups, please log into your Campsite Parent Dashboard. No notes or phone calls will be accepted to change authorized pickups

If a last-minute change or addition to your authorized pick-ups is necessary, please contact your camp and specify the change needed.

In the event that an unauthorized individual attempts to gain access to a child, the parent/guardian or emergency contact will be notified. Law enforcement will be contacted if necessary.

Please note that a parent, regardless of custodial arrangements, has the authority to obtain a child from camp at any time unless a copy of the Court Order is on file with the camp office.

EARLY PICK-UP POLICY

Please provide written notice if you need to pick up your child prior to 3:45 pm. Please be aware that due to the nature of the camp property, it’s likely your child’s group will not be in the immediate area of the camp office.

Unusual arrivals and departures close to regular arrival/departure time will result in delays.

Email daily changes directly to your camp.

ABSENCES

Please notify the camp if your child will be absent.

SICK CHILD POLICY

Please do not send your child to camp if they are sick and/or running a fever. If a child becomes ill at camp, a parent or person authorized to pick up will be contacted to pick up the child. Children must be symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to camp. A doctor’s note may be required. Medical reasons for your child to remain home include but are not limited to:

• A temperature of 100.4 or more.
• Persistent nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Heavy nasal or eye discharge.
• Any questionable rash or skin condition: This can include chicken pox, poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, etc.
• Any communicable diseases: This can include conjunctivitis, herpes virus which causes cold sores, lice, etc.

BEHAVIOR POLICY

All YMCA Camp programs strive to use discipline in a fair, nurturing manner. Punitive methods are not acceptable. The YMCA takes great pride in guiding children to become successful and happy individuals who are learning to independently get along with others. This is achieved through the following:

• Role Modeling: Effectively exemplifies good qualities needed for acceptance in a group.
• Positive Reinforcement: To encourage repetition of good behavior.
• Reinforcing Problem Solving Skills: These include settling disagreements with aggressiveness, predicting consequences, thinking of the feelings of others, etc.
• Reason and Logic: Helping children to think through a problem and find the solution that works best for everyone concerned.

Any camper who commits an act of physical aggression or gross disobedience will complete a behavior incident report with camp staff. Reports will be shared with the child’s parents/guardians, and may result in any of the following actions as determined by the camp director or director designee:

• First Offense: Parents will be contacted and the child will be suspended for the next day of camp.
• Second Offense: Child will be suspended from camp for the remainder of the session.
• Third Offense: Child will be expelled from camp for the remainder of the summer.

There will be no refund or fees or deposits for days a camper is suspended. Please go over these policies with your children. Expectations for behavior and consequences will be reviewed on an ongoing basis over the course of the summer, but your cooperation is needed to ensure that the right of each camper to have a safe and happy environment is attained.

PARENTAL CODE OF CONDUCT

We understand that when it comes to your children, an emotional response is sometimes hard to avoid. However, we ask you to understand that we are doing our best to ensure all children have a positive experience in a safe environment while at camp. We evaluate each situation or conflict as objectively as possible and assess the event of each incident, keeping in mind each child’s part in the issue. Our goal with any and every incident is to react as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure we are moving forward and learning from the incident. Both as an organization and for all parties involved, our goal is to improve and prevent further incidents.

There are very few one-sided incidents and to successfully address a situation, we must look at each child’s part and gather all the facts. When speaking with you, we exercise the confidentiality of everyone concerned and can only provide information pertinent to your child. Staff cannot provide any personal information of other children/parents involved in a situation. We ask that you work with us to reinforce the concerns brought forward and help by offering positive solutions to your child to avoid conflict in the future.

Just as we expect your child to respect the facility, our mission, and our staff working within it, we ask you to do the same. Remember there are impressionable ears everywhere in our facilities and as an adult, you have a responsibility to express yourself accordingly. Bullying occurs at all ages and we will not respond to parents who attempt to intimidate our staff with threats of any kind.

Please speak appropriately and refrain from using threatening words, tone of voice, gestures, foul language, sexually inappropriate comments, and physical contact toward our staff. Please be aware that aggression of threatening behavior of any kind could affect your child’s eligibility to attend our program. Such behavior will not be tolerated and authorities will be contacted.

Quality youth development programming isn’t just the proper ratio of teachers to youth or a clean classroom; it is a commitment to meeting the social, emotional, and developmental needs of youth. Moreover, it’s staff who are dedicated to providing high-quality services for all youth.

Our goals are as follows:

• To welcome all youth and provide high-quality services regardless of socio/economic background.
• To support the growth and development of all youth, focusing on: Social and emotional skills.
  • Self-awareness, confidence, and feelings of self-worth.
  • Interpersonal relationships.
  • Academic achievement.
  • Physical skills.
  • Health and nutrition.
  • To deliver programs in a positive YMCA environment of enrichment, safety, and support, focusing on:
    • Broadening the community, national, and world understanding of youth and parents including experiences that foster exposure to ethnic and cultural diversity.
    • The program will be conducted in accordance with core YMCA operating principles and philosophy. Implementing and delivering Character Development programs.
    • Eradicating the Achievement Gap.
    • Ensuring safety for all.

The single most important factor in attaining these goals is the commitment of the staff and their dedication to providing high-quality programs.

SWIMMING

Campers will all have the opportunity to swim while at camp. Swim time is a recreational swim time. We do not offer swim lessons during the swim block.

Campers who wish to swim in designated deep-end water areas must pass the deep-end test.

Campers who are unable to complete the deep-end test and do not meet the height requirements will be required to wear a life jacket and remain in the shallow end while swimming.

TAKING THE DEEP-END TEST

Deep End swimmers are required to take the Deep End Test every summer after Memorial Day.

Camp will keep these items for no longer than 1 week from the end of the session. After this time, these items will be donated or thrown away. Please note that these items will be held at the discretion of camp staff. Items that are soiled, damaged, or otherwise deemed not able to be safely stored will be disposed of.

Camp will only hold the following specific list of items:

• Jackets/Sweatshirts

• Water Bottles (with names on them)

• Prescription glasses, durable medical equipment, prescription medication

• Shoes (not water shoes or sandals)

• Backpacks

• Swimsuit/towel

The list of items camp will not hold on to includes but is not limited to: socks and underwear, hats, water bottles (without names), sunglasses, toys, and arts and crafts projects including tie-dye.

Campers will have unit and sub-unit spaces to help campers maintain their belongings and help staff identify misplaced items during the camp session. We highly encourage parents to label all items with their camper’s name to help our staff identify items during the camp session. Many items look similar and it can be confusing for both staff and campers.

Please do not send campers with stuffed animals, toys, blankets, or other items from home. Items like jewelry can be easily lost or damaged. Electronics, including phones, are not permitted to be used at camp. Phones will be confiscated and returned to families at the end of the day if campers are using them. Camp is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen items—including confiscated phones.

After the camp session ends, if one of the listed items is missing, please contact the camp to see if the item has been found and to arrange a pickup.

CAMP DOH INSPECTION

YMCA Camps are permitted to operate by the New York State Department of Health. We are inspected twice annually. Reports are filed with the Monroe, Ontario, and Steuben County Department of Health.

OCFS LEGALLY EXEMPT CAMP

Our camps are also filed as Legally Exempt with OCFS. (Except YMCA Camp Glacier Lake)

AMERICAN CAMPING ASSOCIATION (ACA) ACCREDITED

We are also proud to be an American Camp Association (ACA) accredited camp. The ACA nationally recognizes camps that meet the highest standards focusing on health, safety, and program quality.