Monroe County YMCA SUMMER CAMP 2025 PARENT GUIDE
Welcome to Monroe County Y Summer Camp!
Thank you for choosing YMCA Camp as your summer fun destination! Our staff is committed to providing your family with a rewarding and memorable experience.
This parent guide is designed to prepare and assist you with sending your child to Summer Camp. It contains helpful and pertinent information that will make camp a positive experience for your whole family. Please read this guide carefully. If we can provide you with any additional information or be of service to you throughout the summer, please do not hesitate to contact:
SOUTHEAST Y DAY CAMP & SPECIALTY CAMP
Cole Rightley
Youth & Family Program Director crightley@MonroeCountyYMCA.org
Chelcey Bostic
Southeast Y Youth & Family Program Coordinator cbostic@MonroeCountyYMCA.org
NORTHWEST
YMCA Summer Camp at a Glimpse
NORTHWEST Y DAY CAMP & SPECIALTY CAMP
Cole Rightley
Youth & Family Program Director crightley@MonroeCountyYMCA.org
Briana Honeycutt
Northwest Y Youth & Family Program Coordinator bhoneycutt@MonroeCountyYMCA.org
Y & Y FIELDHOUSE SPORTS CAMPS
Chris Stone
Youth & Adult Sports Director cstone@MonroeCountyYMCA.org
Summer Camp focuses on the four core values—caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility—that influence everything we do at the Y. Our summer program is centered around educating campers about these values in all environments. We also help campers build self-confidence and independence while challenging them physically, mentally, and emotionally. We emphasize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle,through fun activities to help your child incorporate this concept into their daily lives.
A Typical Day at Camp
At Y Summer Camp, kids ages 3-15 engage in supervised activities that teach core values, conflict resolution, and leadership skills. Every day, campers participate in group games, crafts, camp songs, physical activity, and more, all of which encourages new friendships, self-confidence, teamwork, and growth in self-reliance.
Summer Camp Staff
When your child arrives, they will be greeted by many familiar faces, as we have quite a few returning counselors this year. While returning counselors are great, they can’t do it alone, so we have also hired new staff members who will bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to our program.
Each counselor is required to participate in over 20 hours of staff development including team-building skills, child abuse prevention, emergency procedures, character development, behavior management, universal precautions, basic First-Aid training, and CPR training. We take pride in the high expectations we set for our Summer Camp staff, and we evaluate both our staff and programs regularly throughout the summer.
Refund and Cancellation Policies
To be eligible for a registration fee refund (excluding the deposit), you must submit a cancellation request at least four weeks before the start date of the session. For a $15 fee, you may alternatively transfer your camper’s registration to another week. You must submit a transfer request at least two weeks before the camp week starts.
Please note: Any cancellation request submitted less than four weeks before the start date of the camp week will not be eligible for a refund. Scheduled payments will still draft even if campers are not in attendance.
To cancel, please submit a refund request through our Summer Camp Refund Request form.
Emergency and Medical Information
This section is essential to your child’s safety and well-being while they are in our care this summer. At registration time, either online or at the Welcome Center, you will be asked to provide our staff with information about your child including allergies, medications, and emergency contacts for Camp Leadership Staff to reach you if necessary during the day.
During registration, you will be asked to list everyone you want to authorize to pick up your child. You can add additional authorized individuals to your Authorized Pick-Up List at any time after registration by updating your child’s online account. As a safety measure for every YMCA camper, anyone who picks up a child from camp MUST be listed on the Authorized Pick-Up List. Campers will not be allowed to leave with anyone who has not been added to their authorized list, and photo identification will be required before campers are released to leave with any individual.
Medication Administration
Camp Leadership Staff will administer prescription medication provided it is in the original container and has been listed in the designated section on registration forms. All medication must be turned in to Summer Camp Leadership Staff. Only the Camp Leadership Staff and assigned supervisors will administer medication, with the exception of emergency medications such as EpiPens and inhalers, which will be kept with your camper or their counselor. Medication will be administered per doctor’s orders only. If the dosage has changed from what is listed on the bottle, please bring in a doctor’s statement indicating proper administration and dosage.
Camp Leadership Staff may also administer certain over-the-counter (OTC) medications if parent permission is given on registration forms. These medications may include antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone, calamine lotion, aloe, children’s Tylenol, children’s ibuprofen, and children’s Benadryl. You will be contacted before OTCs are administered to your child.
Behavior Management Policy
The primary goal of Y Summer Camp is that all campers have a safe and rewarding experience. To accomplish this goal, we create clear, age-appropriate expectations, use redirection techniques, and practice positive reinforcement. You may be called to pick up your camper if a counselor’s redirection techniques are ignored and the camper continues to create an unsafe atmosphere for themselves, other campers, or staff.
What to Wear and Pack for Camp
Campers should come to camp in clothing that can get dirty and is suitable for an active day. Additionally, please send your camper to Summer Camp with the items listed below every day. Many items that come to camp (towels, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc.) look identical, so please write your camper’s first and last name in permanent marker on all their belongings.
DO NOT SEND:
THINGS TO PACK DAILY
• Healthy, filling lunch that does not require refrigeration or heating
• Reusable water bottle
• Swimsuit and towel
• Hat or bandana
• Bug spray and sunscreen (spray bottles preferred)
• Any electronics, INCLUDING CELL PHONES AND HANDHELD GAME SYSTEMS
• Toys or personal belongings
• Valuables
• Weapons
• Sandals/flip flops
• Pokémon cards
• Jewelry
Sun and Water Safety
• Clothing that CAN get dirty
• Close-toed shoes with socks
• Backpack
• Snacks (full-day campers have morning and afternoon snacks)
• Change of clothes
This list is not exhaustive. If camp staff feel like an item is inappropriate or disruptive, it will be confiscated and returned to your camper at the conclusion of the day. Camp staff is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Campers are responsible for their own belongings.
Please apply sunscreen to your camper prior to their arrival at camp. Encourage your camper to continue applying sunscreen throughout the day, and rest assured that camp staff will monitor sunscreen application at set times throughout each day. If your camper tends to get sunburns, please let us know in the medical section on registration forms and pack any special sunscreen your camper may need.
Toilet Training Requirement
Children must be able to use the bathroom unassisted. In the event they have an accident, staff will take them to the restroom to change into their extra clothes. If your child cannot change unassisted, you will be contacted. Camp Leadership Staff will reach out to discuss next steps if self-reliant toilet use becomes a recurring issue.
Communication
This year, we will be piloting a new platform for parent/staff communication: Camp Source. Through the app, you’ll be able to get updates on what your campers are up to, see calendars of what’s coming up in the week, receive announcements about rain/heat days, and much more all on one convenient, simple, and secure platform.
As we get closer to the start of Summer Camp, you will receive an email invitation to join our Camp Source group. All emails from Camp Source will come from noreply@thesummercampsource.com. Please add the contact to your address book to avoid any notifications going to your spam/junk folder.
Summer Camp Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times
Browse the tables below to find a full breakdown of drop-off and pick-up times for all camp groups at each location. Please note that AM Extended Day runs from 7:30-8:45 am for all camp groups. PM Extended Day runs from 3:00-6:00 pm for all camp groups except Sports Camp, for which the program runs from 4:00-6:00 pm.
Southeast Y Summer Camp Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times
Northwest Y Summer Camp Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
The next several pages include detailed steps outlining our drop-off and pick-up procedures with accompanying maps illustrating how to drop off and pick up your camper from each of our facilities. Campers will be greeted by camp staff at our curbside drop-off/pick-up locations, and camp staff will escort campers to/from your vehicle and their camp group.
As previously mentioned, you will be asked to list anyone eligible to pick up your child when you register for camp. It is your responsibility to keep your child’s account up-to-date with pick-up authorizations and emergency contact information. If you need to add anyone to your camper’s authorized pick-up list after you register for camp, please follow the directions outlined below.
How To Add Authorized Pick-Ups for Summer Camp
1 Log in to your YMCA account
2 Click “Authorized Pick-Ups” under your child’s name
3 Click “Add”
4 Select someone within your membership or add someone from outside your membership
5 To add someone outside of your membership, enter their name, birthday, and phone number
