Politics & Government

Single-purpose Day Camps Not Safe?

Proposed bill calls for single-purpose camps to be subjected to the same state Department of Health regulations as traditional summer camps.

A bill which calls for so-called “single-purpose” day camps to be subjected to the same state Department of Health rules and regulations as other summer day camps has been proposed in the New York State Legislature.

Traditional day camps in New York have been licensed and inspected by the DOH for more than 30 years, while a camp that offers only one sport or activity is exempt from all DOH safety standards. Approximately 1,600 single-purpose day camps pose risk of injury and need more government oversight, according to supporters of the bill, such as Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, D-Great Neck.

“Day camp is often a child’s first step towards independence and personal growth.  It should be a place where parents feel confident that their child is in a safe environment. It is our duty to reform our public health laws to ensure that each and every child attending a day camp program is safe,” said Schimel in a news release.

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Although no official data exists to substantiate the amount of injuries at single-use camps, supporters of the bill claim numerous safety lapses occur from lack of regulation, including no background checks of staff personnel, no minimum age requirement for counselors, and no mandated staffing ratios.

"Traditional camps must report every accident, injury, outbreak of contagious disease to DOH. However because single purpose camps are not “camps” under existing law, they are not required to report anything, and thus no data exists," said Ross Coleman, president of the New York State Camp Directors Association to Patch.

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Single-use camps that offer just one non-passive recreational activity, such as basketball or lacrosse, are allowed to operate without a permit or Health Department oversight because they do not fall into the same category as other camps that have two or more activities on site.

"Parents should be able to trust that all camps in New York State, whether they focus on basketball, soccer, woodworking or are a traditional day camp with a myriad of activities," according to press statement from Scott Ralls, president of the American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey.

Under the proposed legislation (A.2193-B, S.1015-B), all single-purpose day camps will be required to obtain a permit in order to operate, and must acquire liability insurance in order to provide additional protection to children attending camps — which could result in fee increases to parents to cover costs or the cancellation of the programs altogether.

“Currently, there are no government regulations that hold single-purpose camps  to the same standards, resulting in a false sense of security for parents who assume every camp has been inspected by the Department of Health to ensure compliance with appropriately stringent guidelines,” said Coleman.

When asked about a possible hike in single-use camp rates due to the proposed legislation, Coleman said if single-use camps cannot afford insurance or meet safety standards that traditional camps meet "they should not be operating."

Coleman is the owner of a traditional day camp which competes for business with the single-use camps.

Regarding parental responsibility to ultimately ensure the camps are safe for their kids? —  The government should intervene, according to Coleman.

"How much responsibility can we put on busy parents?" he said.

Tell us: Do you support the proposed legislation?


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