COVID-19 has changed many things about how we conduct business on a day-to-day basis. This is no exception at Camp Fire Sunshine, especially as we look ahead to the start of our summer programming.
As we have planned our procedures and practices for this summer, we have chosen to abide by the recommendations for summer camps as published by the American Camping Association.Some daily practices to protect our day campers who will spend the majority of their day at our Program Center include:

  • Temperatures will be taken twice a day for youth and staff—once upon arriving at Camp Fire and again at lunch time. If a child is running a fever, they will be provided a face mask to wear and placed in the office to separate them from other campers. A parent/guardian will be contacted to pick-up the child. Children suspected of being ill MUST be picked up from Camp Fire immediately.
  • Any child suspected of being remotely sick, or having been in contact with anyone in their household that is ill, should be kept at home.
  • Children will be required to wash their hands with antibacterial soap and water before eating snacks and lunch, before loading into the bus for field trips, and upon returning from trips.
  • Each child’s reusable water bottle will be disinfected at the end of each day and allowed to air dry overnight. Staff will assist with filling water bottles every day.
  • Children will not be permitted to share snacks or lunch items, whether they be items brought from home or that we provide.
  • All surfaces will be cleaned regularly throughout the day with anti-viral disinfectant. This includes counters, tables, bathrooms, doors and door handles, etc.
  • There will be hand sanitizer stations located throughout the building and anti-bacterial soap supplied in bathroom and kitchen soap dispensers.

With these guidelines in place, we have opted to not require youth or staff to wear face masks during program time. Many activities take place outside during the day, and it’s our experience that wearing a mask in the heat is not a safe nor sustainable practice. However, we will require masks to be worn on the van and bus.

In addition to making adjustments to our daily in-house practices, field trips and Summer Challenge projects will also look slightly different from our normal line-up. In light of COVID-19, many locations have had to make schedule or procedure changes that will impact when we’re able to visit, if at all. We anticipate throughout the summer having to make abrupt schedule changes. We are going into the summer with a flexible mindset, and thank you for being flexible with us!

Every effort is being made by the Camp Fire staff and leadership to ensure our campers remain safe and healthy this summer. And while their physical health is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, we strongly believe that the emotional and mental well-being of our kids are equally important. Efforts being made towards that goal include planning plenty of time outdoors enjoying play and sunshine, encouraging positive interactions with peers and leaders, and an ongoing enforcement of a sense of normalcy.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Lynn Anne, Executive Director. She can be reached via e-mail at lynnannec@campfire-sunshine.org, or by calling our office at 863-688-5491.