Protected: CHAM Camp
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) Camp
Camp for Children with Chronic Childhood Illnesses
In 1975, Frost Valley YMCA, in partnership with The Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, established the nation’s first mainstream camp experience for children with kidney disease. Over 50 years later, Frost Valley has welcomed more than 2,000 kidney campers to camp, providing each child with a transformative and mainstream traditional sleep-away camp experience typically not available for children with such medical conditions.
This proof of concept builds on the model of Frost Valley’s Kidney Camp program, proposing to create a camp program that will focus on providing medically supported recreational, inclusive, mainstream camp opportunities for children with a wider set of limiting chronic childhood illnesses.
This program will serve as a pilot for a potential full-scale program and will include a total of five campers, each accompanied by a parent or guardian for an introductory weekend before the summer session. The goal is to ensure that each camper and family feels comfortable, safe, and excited to participate, while fostering connections with others facing similar health challenges and practicing independence despite the medical challenges they face, not surrounded by children who suffer the same plight, but mainstreamed, experiencing camp like any other child would.
Goals and Objectives
- Provide a safe, medically supervised camp experience for children with chronic illnesses, helping them build confidence, friendships, and independence in a supportive, inclusive, mainstreamed sleepaway camp experience.
- Offer respite and support for families by facilitating meaningful interactions between parents, guardians, and medical professionals while helping parents gain confidence in the camp’s ability to care for their children.
- Demonstrate the value and feasibility of an inclusive camp model that can accommodate children with a range of medical conditions while providing a typical inclusive camp experience (activities, recreation, etc.).
- Create an atmosphere of inclusivity, empathy, and community** where children, regardless of their health conditions, can feel “normal” in a peer setting.
Target Audience
- Children (ages 8-12) with chronic illnesses (e.g., Arthritis, Autoimmune disease, Type 1 diabetes, asthma, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, etc.)
- Each camper will be carefully selected to ensure a diverse representation of chronic illnesses, ensuring the camp is inclusive to various medical needs.
Program Structure
Selection of participants:
- A dedicated nurse/social worker will be assigned to work with the hospital medical team to identify candidates, and then work with individual families for introduction to, and enrollment in, the program.
Introduction and Open House days
- Held in the 6 months prior to the program for potential participants to gauge interest and comfort level.
Orientation Weekend for Camper(s) and Family
- Held in the weeks prior to the main camp session, this weekend will allow the campers and their families to meet staff, tour the facilities, review medical protocols, and engage in fun, low-pressure activities.
Summer Camp Session (12 Days, Session 3):
- Five children will attend a twelve-day camp with full supervision and tailored activities.
- Medically supervised activities: Campers will participate in traditional camp activities such as swimming, arts & crafts, archery, nature hikes, etc., modified as needed to accommodate individual medical needs.
- Medical care: A specialized medical team will be available 24/7, including a pediatric nurse, a rheumatologist and a physician experienced in managing chronic illnesses. Camp counselors will receive additional training on working with children with chronic medical conditions.
- Camper peer groups: Small camper peer group sessions will be held daily, encouraging campers to share their experiences living with chronic illness in a supportive setting.
- Family communication plan: Daily updates will be provided to families to ensure peace of mind during the camp experience.
Evaluation Criteria
To assess the success and viability of this proof of concept, the following metrics will be tracked:
- Camper and Family Satisfaction: Feedback will be gathered through surveys from both campers and parents/guardians post-camp, focusing on medical care, camper enjoyment, camper development and independence and overall experience.
- Camper Health Outcomes: Monitoring the health and safety of each camper during the camp to ensure medical needs were appropriately managed and that campers thrived in the environment.
- Staff and Medical Team Feedback: Post-camp debriefs with camp counselors, medical professionals, and administrative staff to identify any areas for improvement in future iterations.
- Feasibility and Cost Analysis: Analyzing the overall costs, staffing needs, and logistical challenges to determine the viability of scaling the program.
Per Camper Cost of Intervention
- Medical Staffing (nurses, doctors, specialized staff): $15,000
- Introductory Weekend Costs (food, accommodations, activities): $5,000
- Session Costs** (accommodations, meals, activities): $15,000
- Medical Equipment and Supplies: $2,000
- Program Administration and Planning: $3,000
Total Estimated Budget: 40,000/$8000 per camper
