YMCA Summer Camps offer one of the most powerful learning environments and can be a place where a child’s social education and independence takes place. They provide youth the opportunity to:
• Try NEW ACTIVITIES
• Build SELF-ESTEEM
• Boost their CONFIDENCE
Campers also build on their TEAMWORK and PROBLEM-SOLVING skills by being part of a supportive community and partaking in activities together.
YMCA of Greater Louisville
Get to Know Us
YMCA MISSION
To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Nurturing the potential of every child and teen.
We believe that all youth deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. We believe the values and skills learned early on are vital building blocks for quality of life. With our four core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility as our guide, we work with your camper every day to help them have fun while realizing their potential. At YMCA summer camps, campers learn to share, make new friends, learn new skills and most importantly learn how to be themselves. That makes for more confident kids today and contributing and engaged adults tomorrow.
HEALTHY LIVING
Improving the nation’s health and well-being.
We strive to give youth an opportunity to exert energy, discover who they are and what they can achieve, and be accepted among each other. At summer camp we provide opportunities for campers to make healthy choices. Water is our drink of choice to provide proper hydration. Our snacks are healthy choices and are monitored for sugar, fat grams, and calories from fat. Camp activities include games, sports, swimming and plenty of outdoor physical activity designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Giving back and providing support to our neighbors.
We believe all youth should feel welcome at YMCA summer camp and have the opportunity to make new friends and celebrate diversity. We provide opportunities for community service; learn about caring for the environment; and encourage campers to work together and support each other.
BECOME PART OF THE Y
Now that you have chosen our summer camps for your child, consider how you might become even more connected with our Y family. We bring families closer together, encourage health and well-being and foster connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests.
A YMCA community–wide family membership has the following additional benefits:
• You could save an additional $10 - $35 per week on summer camp fees, which may cover your monthly Y cost (weekly rates vary by camp)
• You could receive special rates on before/after school child care, youth sports, swim lessons, and other programs.
• Your entire family could spend time together at any of our wonderful facilities throughout the Greater Louisville area including Calypso Cove Waterpark, Oldham County, and Southern Indiana.
• Our Kids’ Club is a fun, safe environment for kids to play under adult supervision while you’re working out.
• At the Y, we make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. We have affordable membership and program rates for everyone.
If you are not already a facility member, stop by for a tour and receive a guest pass for your family to try the Y.
PAYMENT PROCEDURES
All fees must be paid by automatic draft. Debit and credit card drafting will occur on the Friday, 17 days prior to the camp’s start. For the security of your payment and the safety of our staff, cash or check payments are not accepted at any camp locations. The Y will mail out tax statements each January for the previous year. Please keep copies of canceled checks and receipts for IRS reporting requirements. The YMCA’s tax ID number is 61-0444843.
RETURNED DRAFTS
Payments are due the Friday, 17 days prior to the camp’s start (money orders are not accepted). The campers will not be allowed to attend until paid in full. Should you have a financial problem, contact your local branch.
ENROLLMENT AND CUSTODY
At the time of enrollment, parents are to provide all courtordered paperwork if any parties are not to have contact with a child enrolled in the YMCA Summer Camps program. Paperwork must be court-ordered and indicate who is the primary residential parent or if both parents have shared parental custody. Please notify the Camp Director of any unusual circumstances. In order to provide the safest care for your child, the above must be followed. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
CAR RIDER DROP OFF AND PICK UP
You will receive a car rider tag that needs to be shown to a Y staff member during drop off and pick up. Please do not exit the vehicle as your camper will be brought to your car. Campers will only be released to the person with the appropriate car rider tag as we want to ensure that every precaution is taken when releasing your child to an adult. You may give your car rider tag to another parent or guardian that is at least 18 years of age. For your child’s safety, should any person who appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol arrive to pick up your child, our staff will be required to contact another person on your child’s registration form. If no one is available, we are required to call law enforcement. This policy is in place for the safety of your child; the YMCA will not make exceptions. YOU WILL BE CALLED IF YOUR CHILD DOES NOT HAVE AN APPROPRIATE ADULT WITH A CAR RIDER TAG DURING PICK UP. Reminder: children cannot be picked up from off-site locations such as field trips.
LATE PICK UP
To avoid having to pay a late charge, we strongly urge you to have additional emergency numbers and people available to pick up your child. These people and their numbers must be written on our list of who can pick up your camper. Late charges are $1.00 per child per minute late. The YMCA Camps programs close at 6pm. These fees are due at the time of pick-up. Every attempt will be made to call the parent(s) and all emergency numbers listed on the child’s registration form.
MEDICATION
In order for the Y to dispense medication for your child the following is required:
1. A medication form must be filled out daily in order to dispense (your Camp Director has this form).
2. Medication must be in the original bottle for the person it was prescribed, with the dosage for the day only.
3. The parent or guardian must bring in the medication and give it to the Camp Director.
Over the counter medication will only be dispensed with a note from a physician on letterhead. Please give this note to the Camp Director along with your daily permission to administer.
ILLNESS
To ensure the health and well being of all campers in our program, if a child has a contagious illness, infection or fever of 100.3 degrees, parents must make arrangements for their child to be picked up from the program immediately. This includes head lice. If your child has a confirmed case of lice we will require a doctor’s statement that your child is nit-free before they can return.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD IS INJURED?
If your child is injured, the Camp Director or acting Camp Director will take whatever steps necessary to obtain emergency medical care. These steps may include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Attempts to contact a parent or guardian.
2. Attempts to contact persons listed on the emergency information if parent or guardian cannot be reached.
3. If we cannot contact you, we will call an ambulance or paramedic.
4. Have the child taken to an emergency hospital in the company of a staff member.
Sickness and accident insurance is the responsibility of the parent or guardian.
Frequently Asked Questions
YMCA CONTACT NUMBERS
• YMCA Childcare Enrichment Program (CEP)
502.637.1575
• Bullitt County YMCA
502.955.6433
• Chestnut Street Family YMCA
502.587.7405
• Clark County Family YMCA
812.283.9622
• Hardin County YMCA
502.222.3901
• Floyd County Family YMCA
812.206.0688
• Northeast Family YMCA
502.425.1271
• YMCA at Norton Commons
502.882.9622
• Oldham County Family YMCA
502.222.9358
• Republic Bank Foundation YMCA
502.935.9622
• Southeast Family YMCA
502.491.9622
• Southwest Family YMCA
502.933.9622
Frequently Asked Questions (continued)
CAN STAFF BABYSIT?
Staff members are not allowed to be alone with children they meet in Y programs, outside the Y program setting. This includes babysitting, sleepovers, and inviting staff members to children’s homes.
WHO IS WATCHING MY CHILD?
An integral component of the YMCA’s quality camp program is staffing. Our staff consists of mature and enthusiastic individuals who help us provide a quality, safe, and FUN program. We feel confident that we have the best staff around! They are carefully selected and well-trained groups of young men and women. Reference checks are conducted, documented, and filed on all employees working with children. A criminal history background check is also required. Professional Y Camp Directors and Y Program Directors provide the primary leadership for our camps. They are available to answer parent questions and to assist with any personal needs that you or your child may have. Most importantly, our staff members are people who love children. They want to spend their summer playing, teaching and working with children. They are good people with good hearts who are silly enough to sing camp songs at the top of their lungs!
WHAT TRAINING DOES THE CAMP STAFF RECEIVE?
All staff members receive 40 hours of intense YMCA in-house training that covers a great deal. The staff members learn about the policies and procedures of Summer Camp. They learn how important it is to apply sunscreen throughout the day. They learn how to do face counts and how to check in and out campers. They learn the proper procedures for the daily drop off and pick up of campers. In addition to learning all the policies and procedures of the YMCA Summer Day Camps program, they learn techniques of how to better interact with children. They learn how to use positive discipline as well as how to detect and report child abuse. They learn songs, games, and arts & crafts projects. Staff members are also certified in CPR and First Aid.
CHILD SAFETY IS IMPORTANT TO US!
Youth today are faced with situations which may affect their development and safety. It is one of the Y’s missions to keep every child in our care safe and our job to educate our children and ourselves about the potential dangers in our society and to protect them from abuse.
All of our staff our trained in the warning signs of sexual abuse and learn to:
KNOW – The warning signs of child sexual abuse
SEE – The warning signs based on the actions of others
RESPOND – To warning signs of child sexual abuse accordingly
How to Plan
FIELD TRIPS/TRANSPORTATION
If your child’s camp is able to provide field trips, the Y will provide transportation. The cost for all field trips is included in our weekly fee. Transportation to and from the camp location is the responsibility of the parent or guardian. It is also your responsibility to arrive promptly at the camp site on field trip days in order for field trips to remain on schedule. Please note that for safety reasons campers cannot be dropped off or picked up from field trip locations. If you are not able to drop your camper off prior to the field trip departure you will need to wait until we return to the camp location. If you need to pick your camper up early on a field trip day you will need to pick them up at the camp location before we depart on the field trip or wait until the field trip returns.
SCREEN TIME
We believe that there are many other enriching activities in which your child can participate at our summer program other than watching a movie or playing a video game. We will only show a movie in the case of sever weather or if it enhances our weekly theme and allows our staff and camper to interact and engage in a meaningful experience.
CELL PHONES
Please refrain from bringing any cell phones into any Y programs. Youth carrying cell phones will be asked to turn them off during program hours. The Y cannot be responsible for lost or stolen phones brought to camp. If you have specific concerns, please contact your Camp Director.
WHAT TO BRING
Campers should only bring necessary items such as a water bottle, sunscreen, a swimsuit, a packed lunch, appropriate clothing for the weather, and a backpack.
Please refrain from bringing valuable items like expensive jewelry, electronics, trading cards, large sums of cash, or items that could be easily lost or damaged during outdoor activities. The YMCA is not responsible for lost personal belongings.
BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
Our staff wishes to work with you and your camper to have the best experience possible. Occasionally, there will be behavior problems. In most instances, we will try to redirect behavior or remove the child from the conflict.
In some cases, if the problem persists or is severe, our staff will speak to you explaining the incident. If the problem has not been resolved, you will be asked to meet with the Camp Director, staff and your child to come up with a way to resolve the conflict.
In extreme cases, your child may be suspended or dismissed from the program (i.e. repeated bullying, physical threatening, a violent act against another child or staff member.) These two alternatives are a last resort, knowing this would be an inconvenience to you.
Please help us to resolve any behavior problems so that we may offer a safe and happy environment for all campers.
Your camper will feel better and have more energy during the day with healthy items packed in their lunch box.
Here are some ideas for great lunch box fillers from the Harvard School of Public Health. Not all of the items listed below are non-perishable. Small coolers with reusable ice packs help make lunches safe from the summer heat!
Pack fruits and vegetables every day
Applesauce, grapes, raw broccoli or cauliflower, pepper slices, apples, Mandarin oranges, cucumber slices, berries, zucchini and yellow squash, and raisins. (Make vegetables fun with a low-fat dipping sauce!)
Pack a protein or grain option every day
Cereal bars, rice cakes, cheese, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, granola, trail mix, and dry cereal. (Use wheat bread over white bread for sandwiches. Pack foods that have NO TRANS FATS!)
Beverages
Water is the ultimate hydrator! Water is the best of all drinks. When packing juice, use only 100% juice. Stay away from sugar-sweetened drinks and soft drinks!
Please note: Some camps provide meals, for your camper. If you have additional questions, please use the Camp contact list on page four within this packet to reach your preferred branch.
