Environmental Health

The protection of a camper is of primary concern.  Over 9% of abductions are committed by a family member in a custodial dispute¹.  Keeping our kids safe is a collective responsibility that will take teamwork between the Department, provider and camp families to keep the lines of communication open. 

To keep your child safe New Jersey Youth Camp Safety Standards require that camps implement the following procedures for the safe pick-up and drop-off of campers:

• The camp director shall establish a written policy in which preschool campers shall only be discharged from a vehicle to the custody of a designated person
  
  
• The camp director shall obtain from each parent or guardian in writing the name(s) of the person(s) to whom the youth camp can discharge the camper. Help your camp by keeping this list current!
  
  
• The camp director shall ensure that the youth camp establish and maintain a record of the bus driver’s transportation routes and driver information.
  
  
• Campers shall never be left unattended in a bus or vehicle

¹Polly Klas Foundation. http://www.pollyklaas.org/about/national-child-kidnapping.html (Accessed April 2021)