Our Current COVID-19 Plans

Ensuring a safe and healthy Camp will require a strong partnership among all of us.

Please note, the details below have been updated as of June 3, 2021 based on recent guidance from the American Camp Association (ACA). Specifically, changes have been made to the mask requirements.

As always, our top priority at YMCA Camp Carson is to keep our campers, families, and staff safe. In light of our current reality, we are reviewing and updating our medical protocols and practices using recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Indiana State Department of Health, American Camp Association (ACA), Gibson County Health Department, and with guidance from the YMCA Camping Cabinet. We are forming a Camp Medical Advisory Committee as well, to review and add to this plan.

In our commitment to the health and safety of our families and staff, we will continue to monitor guidance from the CDC and other state health agencies. We recognize that recommendations and guidelines will change, and we commit to updating our programming and protocols accordingly.

We will continue to update this page and will send specific information to parents as appropriate. Thank you for your support and patience as we all navigate through this. If you have questions, please call or text Jim Sexstone, our Executive Director at 513-383-0204.

Before Camp

Campers (Parents) will be asked to fill out a health screening form. We see screening as a health promotion activity where the camp and families are in a partnership. Please join us in this effort and fill out this required form. Upon arrival to camp, additional questions as well as a temperature check will be administered to the camper(s).

Check In and Check Out process will be adjusted, and attendees will be limited to reduce the number of people on site. Parents will be asked not to enter cabin areas and remain in their cars. Times will be provided to spread out the check in or check out process. Details will be emailed to parents prior to Camp.

Cabin Groups

Each cabin group will operate as a separate "pod" or household. Interaction with other cabins or pods will be limited to a "cohort" of 4-6 total cabins. Modifications will be made to the choice based activity times (e.g. open challenge blocks) to enable these layers of protection.

Think of the cabin group as a household or pod, a cohort as a small neighborhood, and all of Camp Carson as a community. Campers will only interact with their cohort. Campers will not interact with cabins outside their cohort but may pass by them while outside and at a distance of greater than 6 feet.

Camp Programs

Modifications will be made to the camp schedule to limit groups in a given area at any one time to allow for physical distancing between cabin cohorts.

Multi-cabin and multi-cohort activities will take place outdoors and/or utilize physical distancing.

Masking will be used for indoor related activities or events.

Meals at Camp

Meals will be an adventure this summer, with special outdoor meals, cookouts, eating in shifts, we will be limiting the number of cabin groups eating indoors at the same time. This will allow us to only have cabins from the same cohorts together, and will allow each cabin group to have space between their table and the next while they eat.

Campers will still enjoy the traditions of singing and silliness at mealtime, but those activities will take place outdoors in a safe & distanced manner.

Cleaning

Additional hand washing and hand sanitizing stations are being added throughout camp.

Program supplies and equipment will follow procedures to be sanitized between uses.

High touch areas of camp will see increased sanitization.

Masks

We Wear Masks Inside

Campers and staff wear masks inside buildings at camp and while participating indoors - when they're not with only their cabin groups. We will practice social distancing and limit the number of individuals in any indoor space. Please pack masks for your camper.

Masks Outside Not Required

Outside, campers will socially distance from campers outside of their pod. When this is not possible, masks will be used for short periods of time.

Although not required when outside & socially distanced, if a camper chooses to wear a mask, you will see counselor’s join them in support. Please pack masks for your camper.

Also, at check-in, you will see our staff in masks outside as we meet and greet cars. Once camp has begun and we have been split into pods, staff may remove their masks.

Health

Camp will conduct daily health screenings of campers at camp.

Campers or staff with two or more symptoms of Covid-19 will be isolated from the rest of camp and will be asked to be picked up from camp as soon as possible. The health and safety of all campers and staff are important to us. We will also use common sense and the advice of registered nurses and doctors while making this determination. Sometimes it is hot outside and we just need to slow down a bit. It is sometimes just as simple as that.

Questions?

We want to be sure you are comfortable and have all of your questions answered. Please feel free to call Jim at 513-383-0204.

YMCA CAMP CARSON