I hate to cause jealousy among you, but we may have access to a nearly perfect camp and it is only about 20 miles from where we live. Why would I dare to make such a claim? They take our special needs children and never complain or kick them out. This week, I know of seven adopted special needs children there for respite, and I don’t know everyone, so there are probably others. I only know of one child who was sent home early in the past, and that was for smoking cigarettes at camp.

The camp only charges 10 dollars for the week. That is correct, not a typo, ten dollars, and that is to cover the camp insurance for your child. If your child would like to make crafts for the week, that is an additional five dollars, not per craft, but for the week.

That isn’t all that makes it a great camp though. It is located on a small winding river, so the children may take out a canoe with a counselor, or go fishing off shore, or go wading. The boys and girls have separate swimming times to avoid any improper conduct.

There are separate boys’ and girls’ cabins, which are located about 200 yards from each other, with a “no visiting the other cabin” policy. The only separate room in each cabin is the bathroom, so whatever the children do, is under the counselors’ watchful eyes.

There is an RN living on the premises for the summer. She takes all the medications and locks them up, and she takes responsibility for administering them at the proper times. She also watches the children for sunburn and dehydration. I know this because one of my sons complained about the amount of water she made him drink, because she was afraid he was dehydrating.

The eating area is a pavilion, open on all four sides. Once again, under the watchful eyes of the counselors, the cooks and the pastor, so there are no opportunities for misconduct during meals either. My children tell me that the food is absolutely delicious and they say there is plenty of it. While attending this camp, my 14 year old, ADHD son, who just broke 100 pounds, actually gains weight every year.

We drop the children off on Monday and return to pick them up on Friday. Bible studies are done around the campfire, out in the open, every evening. During the day, the children participate in team sports, crafts, and water activities. Each child is assigned a camp job, such as garbage, dishes, or bathrooms so they can take some ownership and pride in their camp experience.

The children are always happy, well rested, and well fed when we pick them up. They always say they can’t wait to go back next year. The only thing that could make the camp better, would be if we could register our children for more than one week! Get on the internet and search your area, ask your friends, ask your support group members, maybe you have the perfect camp right around the corner, too.


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