With more than 12,000 camps in the United States, choosing one may seem overwhelming. However, selecting the right program often boils down to knowing your options and asking the right questions.
The American Camping Association (ACA) offers the following guidelines when choosing a camp to help ensure that it is an experience your child will cherish for a lifetime.

Ask the Right Questions

Below are some important questions to ask the camp director, as well as the answers you want to hear.

What is the educational and career background of the camp director?
The camp director should possess a bachelor's degree, have completed in-service training within the past three years and have at least 16 weeks of camp administrative experience.

What is the camper return rate?
While every camp is clearly not right for every person, a large number of returning campers usually indicates a high level of satisfaction with the camp's programming and operation.

How old are the counselors? What percentage are return counselors from past years? What qualities, certification and experience does the director look for in staff?
Among the counseling/program staff, 80 percent or more should be 18 years or older. Any counselor under 18 must be at least two years older than the camper they are supervising. Some staff turnover is natural, but most camps have between 40 and 60 percent of staff return each year. If the rate is lower, find out why.

What is the ratio of counselors to campers?
The ratio should be based on the ages of the campers and their special needs. Severely mentally disabled campers require a ratio of one staff to one camper. Non-disabled resident campers require one staff for every six campers ages 6 to 8; one staff for every eight campers ages 9 to 14; and one staff for every 10 campers ages 15 to 18. Day campers require one staff for every eight campers ages 6 to 8; one staff for every 10 campers ages 9 to 14; and one staff for every 12 campers ages 15 to 18.

What is the camp's program philosophy?
Some promote competition and healthy rivalry among camp teams, while others encourage cooperative learning. Knowing your child's personality and learning style will help you select a camp with the appropriate philosophy.

What are the safety and medical accommodations at the camp? If your child has special needs, are programs, accommodations and facilities adequate?

What is the transportation system?
Find out what type of vehicles are used (typically it's vans or buses) and how often they are inspected by qualified mechanics.

Ask the director to describe the camp's driver training and ongoing safety awareness programs.
Ask if it will be possible to visit the camp before enrolling your child. Ask for names of camper families to contact for their impressions of the camp.

Is the camp accredited by the American Camping Association?
ACA-accreditation verifies that a camp has complied with up to 300 standards for health, safety and program quality which are recognized by courts of law and government regulators. At least once every three years, an outside team of trained camp professionals observe the camp in session to verify compliance. If a camp you are considering is not ACA-accredited, it is important to find out why.

Camp Is For Everyone

These days, there are camps to meet every interest, price range and schedule. Knowing your options, as well as your child's personality, will help you identify programs that your child will benefit most from.

Resident Camp
Most offer a variety of programs for ages from about seven on up. The majority are coed, but camps for girls or boys only and camps specializing in a particular program are also available. Resident camps offer varying overnight accommodations such as cabins, tents and tepees.

Day Camp
Similar to resident camps except campers are somewhat younger (starting at about four years-old) and everyone returns home at the end of the day.

Specialty Camps and Programs
Campers can embark adventures as varied as learning how to ride a horse to how to race a car. If your child has an interest, chances are there is a camp that specializes in it.

Special Needs Campers
A physical, medical or mental disability is not a roadblock for a camp experience. Each year more than a million special needs children benefits from summer camp. Some camps specialize in serving certain groups while other camps integrate special-needs campers into the total camp population.

Session Lengths Vary
Children may stay at camp for a few days, a few weeks or the entire summer. At camp, there's a session length for every child, budget and schedule.

Cost
Camp remains a very affordable option for most everyone. Fees can range from $15 to $120 per day, depending upon the choice of camp, the facilities offered and the camper's needs. Many camps and other organizations offer financial assistance based on need.

For more information on the advantages of early registration and the benefits of the camp experience, please visit the ACA web site at www.ACAcamps.org  or call 1-800-428-CAMP.
Founded in 1910, the American Camping Association is a national community of camp professionals and is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults through the camp experience. ACA is the only organization that accredits all types of camps based upon 300 standards for health and safety.