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Keeping Kids Safe!
Youth-Adult Housing Policy for 4-H Overnight (Residential) Camps
An adult (related or unrelated) counselor, staff member or chaperone, aged 21 (age as of date of event) and up, at 4-H overnight (residential) camps must easily be accessible and within hearing distance of youth campers during sleeping hours. An adult counselor (18 and up; age as of date of event) or a junior counselor (aged 15 and up; age as of date of event) must be in the youth campers’ sleeping areas. This policy draws on the Michigan Department of Human Services camp licensing requirements and applies to all 4-H overnight (residential) camps regardless of whether the camp is one overnight or several overnights.* The policy also draws on the Michigan 4-H Youth Development Programs: 4-H Program Planning and Management Reference Guide.** For more information on camp guidelines (including topics such as risk management and staff training), contact the American Camping Association (ACA) at http://www.acacamps.org.
Definitions:
- 4-H Overnight (Residential) Camps – These are camps with an outdoor setting that have natural or human-made features available for outdoor living or activities. Housing for youth for one or more nights may be in cabins, tents, dorms or other designated structures. Most (or all) of the youth are away from their parents, relatives or legal guardians.
- Department of Human Services Licensed Camps – In Michigan, a licensed children's camp is defined in Act No. 116 of the Public Acts of 1973, as amended: A children's camp involves five or more children, away from their parents, relatives or legal guardians, for five or more days within a 14-day period in a natural environment. The Office of Child and Adult Licensing inspects and licenses camp programs for compliance with the requirements contained in the administrative rules for camps. Camps that do not fall within this definition are considered nonlicensed camps.
- Adult Counselor or Staff Member – A person who is 18 years of age or older with assigned camp responsibilities.
- Junior (or Teen) Counselor – A minor youth 15 to 17 years of age with assigned camp responsibilities.
- Chaperone – A person who is 21 years of age or older with responsibilities for ensuring the care, safety, protection, guidance and supervision of the campers.
Youth-Adult Housing and Ratio Requirements:
- An adult (related or unrelated) chaperone (aged 21 and up) must easily be accessible and within hearing distance of the youth during sleeping hours. This adult can serve in both a chaperone and counselor or staff member role.
- An adult (aged 18 and up) or a junior counselor (aged 15 to 17) must be in each of the youth campers’ sleeping areas. “Sleeping areas” refers to cabins, tents, groups of tents, dorms or other designated structures.
- Camp counselors, staff and chaperones must only be housed with or near youth of the same gender.
- The adult- (aged 18 and up) to-youth camper ratios listed below must be followed (note that all ratios follow Michigan 4-H Youth Development policy and are more stringent than Michigan Department of Human Services camp licensing requirements):
- One adult (aged 18 and up) to every ten campers (aged 13 and up) or a fraction thereof beyond the first ten during sleeping and awake hours.
- One adult (aged 18 and up) to every six campers (aged 12 and under) or a fraction thereof beyond the first six during sleeping and awake hours.
- One adult (aged 18 and up) to every six campers with disabilities or a fraction thereof beyond the first six during sleeping hours. Note: A ratio of one adult counselor or staff member (aged 18 and up) to every three campers applies during their awake hours.
- It is recommended that a second counselor be added for every ten campers; this individual can be a junior counselor. However, keep in mind that the junior counselor is a minor and must be counted in the adult-to-youth ratio. So you could have nine campers in a cabin and one junior counselor; this equals ten youth for every adult counselor.
- The adult-to-youth ratio may be increased depending on the nature of the camp. For example, 4-H Outdoor Adventure Challenge overnight camps use a ratio of two adults (aged 18 and up) to seven youth.
Counselor and Chaperone Background Checks:
- Junior counselors aged 15 to 17 must complete at least two of the following: an application, an interview and a reference check.
- Adult counselors aged 18 to 20 must complete an interview, a reference check and a criminal history check.
- Adult counselors or staff members and chaperones ages 21 and up must have completed the Michigan State University Extension Volunteer Selection Process.
Required Parent/Guardian Permission for 4-H Overnight (Residential) Camps:
Before any youth attends an overnight 4-H camp, each youth’s parent or legal guardian must sign and return a “4-H Overnight Housing Parent/Guardian Permission Form,” which is available from the county 4-H office.
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* For more information on the Michigan Department of Human Services camp licensing, go to http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5455_27716_27723-82032--,00.html
** For more information, go to http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/educator.html. Click on Michigan 4-H Youth Development Programs: 4-H Program Planning and Management Reference Guide and refer to the “Program Planning” section.
For more information on the Michigan 4-H Youth Development Youth-Adult Housing Policy for 4-H Overnight Events, contact:
Betsy Knox, Program Leader
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University Extension
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
Email: knoxe@msu.edu
Phone: 517-432-7603
Janet Olsen, Program Leader
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University Extension
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
Email: olsenj@msu.edu
Phone: 517-432-7630
Copyright
© 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Michigan State University
Last Updated: January 7, 2008
Last Reviewed: August 29, 2007
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