Health and Wellness
All campers with prescription medications are required to use our medication packaging partner CampMeds.
“Laughter is the best medicine…maybe that’s why I never get sick at camp!”
While most campers stay healthy throughout the summer, occasionally campers become ill or injured at camp. When that happens, they’re in great hands with our Health Center team! Our Health Center is staffed 24/7 by experienced nurses, and our team of camp doctors are available around-the-clock to consult and advise.
quality care guaranteed
Illness or Emergency
Treatment at the Health Center in 2024 will be based on our Camp Kingswood Standing Orders (detailed standardized and approved treatment protocols for ailments, injuries, and illnesses) which are reviewed and approved annually by our overseeing doctor. This results in quality and consistency of medical care.
You WILL be notified if:
Your child spends the night in the Health Center, needs to be taken to an out-of-camp doctor, emergency room or clinic, or has been prescribed any type of medication. In these situations, we provide camper medical insurance that can be applied in tandem with your family’s insurance plan for coverage. In some cases, we may ask that you pick up your child so they can recover more comfortably at home and receive the care they require. In that situation, it’s the responsibility of the parent or guardian to pick up the child from camp.
You will NOT be notified if:
Your child spends less than 24 hours in the Health Center, or if your child has a headache, minor cuts or bruises, insect bites, sore throats or upset stomachs. While we won’t notify you in these situations, if you have any reason for concern or want to check in with our nurses about something your child shares in a letter home, we welcome parent outreach to check in!
don’t let paperwork hold you back
Medical Forms
Camp Kingswood requires several different medical forms. The Physical Examination / Immunization Form are available in your CampinTouch account to print, get a licensed health care provider to complete, sign, and upload by April 15. If your child can carry and administer their own emergency medications, your licensed health care provider must also sign that form. The State of Maine requires a current medical form be completed within the calendar year from the first day of camp.
The health history form is an online form filled out by parents attesting to the complete medical history of the camper.
healthy summer, happy kids
Medications
The State of Maine has strict ordinances in place about what summer camp nurses can and cannot do in regards to children’s prescription medications. For this reason, we are required to partner with a pre-packaged medication service, even though we understand this adds an additional and annoying step for our families. Because this is required by law, we cannot ask our nurses to break the law by making an exception for your child. Using a service like CampMeds allows our nurses to dispense medications safely and quickly, minimizing the time campers need to wait in line, which allows them to return to their camp day faster.
Medications are dispensed 4 times a day at camp. In the morning after breakfast, in the afternoon after lunch, in the evening after dinner and at bedtime after the evening program. If your camper requires medications to be taken at different times, please reach out to us to let us know.
No Drug-Free Vacations
Occasionally, parents choose to discontinue medications for their child while they’re at camp. The thinking is that if camp is a more relaxed environment than the structure of school, it’s a good time for a break. In our experience, the opposite is true. While many children with behavioral challenges or attention difficulties thrive at camp, campers need their skills such as impulse control and focus just like at school, and not having the tools they rely on can put campers at a deficit, impacting their ability to make friends, follow directions, and participate successfully in communal cabin life.
Consult your child’s physician prior to any medication changes for the summer. If there has been a change in medication within three months of attending camp, please make us aware of these changes so we can work collaboratively in support of your child’s successful camp experience.
CampMeds
All prescription medications over the counter medications taken daily must come through CampMeds. The ONLY exceptions will be: epi-pens/Auvi-Q or other injectable medications, rescue inhalers, nasal inhalers (Flonase), birth control pills, Accutane, topical creams, eye drops, and any short-term antibiotic (started within the week prior to camp) which will be accepted on opening day.
There is a one-time CampMeds registration fee of $65/75 depending on session length. Please see the CampMeds information in your account. All medications must be received by CampMeds 30 days in advance of your child’s first day of camp (May 23 for Session I and June 18 for Session II). Prescriptions received after that deadline will incur a penalty from CampMeds. No prescriptions will be accepted by CampMeds within fifteen days of the first day of your camp session. Please be sure to have your doctor sign off on all prescriptions and OTC medications, and let us know of any last-minute changes in writing.
Noncompliance with this policy will result in a $200/medication penalty and campers being unable to receive their meds in a timely fashion upon the start of camp.
If you are encountering difficulties with CampMeds or have questions about using it, please contact info@campkingswood.org immediately to discuss.
Eye Care
If your child wears glasses they are required to come to camp with a second pair. Glasses are sometimes broken or misplaced at camp, and even a day without glasses at camp can feel isolating and scary for a camper. If your child wears contact lenses, please send them with extra lenses and cleaning solution.
Orthodontics
We are equipped at camp to handle minor repairs to braces. Should emergency attention be needed, we will bring your child to a local orthodontist unless we’re instructed otherwise on your child’s medical form.
Lice
Please check your child’s head for lice in the days leading up to camp and treat, to be sure your child is completely lice-free before camp. All campers and staff are checked for lice upon arrival. Any children found with lice will be treated by professionals, with the family billed for the cost of treatment.
Bedwetting
Each child develops at their own pace, and for some campers, bedwetting can be a challenge, regardless of their age. We understand this can be a source of embarrassment for some campers, and we handle bedwetting sensitively and confidentially, with an individualized proactive plan that allows campers to feel empowered and comfortable while at camp. If you anticipate that your child will wet their bed while at camp, please be in touch so we can make a plan with you and your child.
sensitive stomachs welcome!
Food Allergies and Dietary Needs
We make every attempt to accommodate campers with a range of food allergies and dietary needs, and one member of our chef team is solely dedicated to special meals and dietary accommodations. We are a nut-aware camp, and we do not cook with nuts or use nut products. We do not serve food in the dining hall that is processed in a facility that uses nuts or that contains nuts.
If your child is coming to camp with a life-threatening allergy, we require that they come to camp with two Epi Pens – one to keep on themselves or for the counselor to hold, and one to remain in the Health Center. Please be explicit in communicating the details of your child’s allergy, even if you think we already know about it. If their allergy is food-related, we invite you to schedule a meeting with our food service directors so we can be best prepared to meet your camper’s needs upon arrival.
when you need just a little extra tlc
Mental, Emotional and Social Health
Camp Kingswood employs a team of mental health professionals who live at camp 24/7 and who are responsible for ensuring the mental, emotional and social health of our camp community. The camper care team works with our counselors and unit heads to support the emotional, psychological, and social needs of campers, helping them thrive while at camp. They work under the direct supervision of Owner/Director Jodi and Associate Director, Joelle who are both social workers themselves.
Some children may meet with a camper care specialist during their session if we think it could help them have a more successful camp experience, or if a camper makes the request. If your child sees a mental health professional at home, it’s helpful for us to know the reasons for treatment, medications used, and to have the name and phone number of the treating therapist. Since COVID, we have had a few requests from parents asking for their child to continue seeing a home therapist while at camp. If you have discussed this with your child’s therapist and think this could be in the best interest of your child, please reach out to discuss this with us. There is an opportunity to provide camp with these details when filling out the Family Questionnaire. Privacy will be strictly maintained by Camp Kingswood, and this information will only be shared with the appropriate staff to ensure your child’s safety and success at camp.
