How to Make Sure Your Kids Are Safe at Sleepaway Camp

Overnight camps provide a myriad of benefits for children, who gain independence, confidence, and often, lifelong friendships while away from home. Still, the experience comes with its fair share of risk. From broken bones and allergic reactions to sexual harassment or assault, a variety of dangers can leave your children dealing with physical pain and emotional trauma. These best practices can help you ensure your child’s safety at camp:

Choose Camps Carefully

Camp selection matters. Many camps employ highly-trained counselors who respond promptly and effectively to emergencies — but this isn’t the case everywhere. When vetting potential camps, determine whether employees are subjected to criminal background checks or other stringent screening procedures. You’ll also want to get a sense of the safety training and employee monitoring present at these locations.

Prepare a Detailed Health History

In addition to ensuring that your children are up to date on their immunizations and other essentials, you’ll want to provide camp leaders with details regarding each child’s health history. Be sure to highlight allergies, previous injuries, and current medical concerns. When in doubt, opt for camps that offer onsite access to nurses or other health professionals.

The Value of Communication

Camp grants your children the opportunity to disconnect in today’s plugged-in world. Unfortunately, this means that contact may be limited when your children need your support most. Discuss safety concerns in advance — and insist that your children report any behavior that makes them uncomfortable to a trusted adult. If your children are able to confide in you, listen without casting judgment — and thank them for sharing. Take action, if warranted, to remove your children from the camp.

If negligence or malicious behavior resulted in a horrific sleepaway camp experience for your children, it’s important to take action. Regan Zambri Long PLLC can help you with every aspect of the personal injury process. Call today to learn more.