To help ensure that your child has a summer that is safe and full of smiles, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published new guidelines for both day and sleep-away camps. Be aware that while these guidelines are applicable to every camp: each camp will need procedures and policies that work for their particular environment, activities and location.
Accidents and Emergencies
There is the potential for an accident at even the most prepared and well organized camp. As such, all camps should have personnel certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) present at all trips and activities, no matter how close the kids are to medical care. Additionally, all lifeguards and waterfront supervisors should be certified in CPR.
As far as emergency information, there is almost no such thing as giving a camp too much. All camps should require children to have had a visit to the doctor within a year of starting camp, and within 6 months if a child has a chronic health condition, such as asthma or diabetes. Be sure to completely fill out medical and camper information forms. Don't be afraid to add information that is not asked, and don't assume your child will relay important information himself, especially in an emergency situation.
"If that paperwork doesn't have a place to include some specific information, the parent should provide it to the camp ahead of time and not rely on the child to communicate it," says Gary Smith, MD, PhD, chairperson of the Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
