Help, my child has been injured at summer camp! What do I do?
Camp can be a wonderful experience for children opening their worlds to new skills and opportunities. Today summer camp takes many forms, including day camps focusing on one particular activity or skill, such as soccer or computer camps. The “old school” summer camp still thrives, however, frequently located on a lake or a river, or in the mountains or a forest, and offering a range of learning and recreational activities, including swimming, rowing, canoeing, horseback riding and archery.
While every parent wants their child to have a safe experience at summer camp, injuries can occur. These include:
- Tragic drowning or near drowning accidents that may be due to inadequate supervision by camp counselors with little experience, who leave their posts, or are distracted by their cell phones or others;
- Other incidents of wrongful death, caused by a fall or exposure to a fire hazard;
- Sexual abuse of your child by camp counselors or other camp staff;
- Physical injuries, caused by faulty, poorly maintained or hazardous camp lodgings and facilities;
- Burn injuries, perhaps caused by improper supervision around campfires;
- Injuries from bullying by other children, or otherwise being subjected to violence, including emotional trauma; and
- Infectious diseases spreading throughout the camp population.
