CINCINNATI (June 16, 2009) – Want to ensure your child has a fun, educational and safe experience at summer camp this year? 4C for Children, the region’s leading resource in early education and care, suggests important questions to ask before sending off school-age campers.

“This is the time of year for choosing a summer camp—and it is important for parents to ask the right questions to ensure it is a quality program, whether it is a day program or overnight camp,” says Karen Middendorf, 4C parent services director. “Parents and guardians should visit several summer programs, interview the director and contact references to ensure the child will have a growing and rewarding experience.”

Middendorf suggests 15 questions to ask when choosing a quality summer program:

1. What are the goals for the children? How will the children learn and grow in this program?

2. Is the program accredited? Did the program participate in any state or national accreditation or quality-rating system?     

3. What is the camp philosophy? Is there a camp philosophy or mission statement, and do you agree with it?

4. What is the type of program? Is the program a high-adventure camp? Is it sports- or hobby-focused?

5. What is a typical day? Are the lesson plans, schedule and activities posted? Are there field trips? What curriculum is used for the educational program? What are the outdoor activities?

6. How much? What is the cost for tuition? Are field trips or other extracurricular activities included?

7. Field trips? What type of transportation does the program use for field trips? Who drives the children? How often are vehicle inspections completed?

8. Group size? What is the size of the camp and what is the staff-to-child ratio? How many children per group and are age groups mixed? The American Camp Association recommends a staff-to-child ratio of 1:8 for children ages 6-8; 1:10 for ages 9-14; and 1:12 for ages 15-18.

9. Are references available? Will the camp provide other parents who have used the camp as references?

10. What does the facility look like? What is the setup and structure of the program facility? Are health and safety standards observed? Is the playground equipped to accommodate large groups of children?

11. What is the discipline policy? Is there a policy in place for discipline? Does it fall into line with parent practices?

12. Do staff members have experience with school-age children? Is there any ongoing training required of staff to ensure their continued education in the field of early childhood education?

13. What are the nutrition guidelines? What food is provided? What do parents need to contribute? Are menus posted?

14. How are parents involved? How does the program communicate regularly with parents? Are there newsletters, daily notes and conferences? Do they encourage feedback such as evaluation forms, an open-door policy or parent events or involve parents as chaperones? Is a parent handbook available that explains tuition payment and policies regarding illness, vacations, medication, etc.?

15. What is the emergency plan? How does the program address issues such as emergency evacuations, medications, or injuries and accidents?

“Choosing a summer camp is a family decision and the child should be involved in the final decision,” Middendorf adds.