A CALL TO
CARE AT
SUMMER CAMP
As DMV camps enter a third year of the COVID-19
pandemic, supporting campers’ mental and emotional
health is more important than ever
W hen Focus Family Martial Arts Academy welcomed children back to camp
last summer, staff noticed something odd. Children in kindergarten and
first grade did not know how to line up, and they were not sharing toys
with other campers—behaviors typical for that age group.

In what was the first summer back at camp for many children after about 12 to 18
months, camp leadership noticed developmental delays, more emotional reactions and,
in some cases, an increase in mental health needs.

“Everyone who touches the camping industry had raised the flag that mental health
was on the rise,” says Havi Goldscher, CEO of Capital Camps, a Jewish overnight camp
with its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland.

It’s hard to say what the impact on children’s mental health will be when the dust
settles from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the summer of 2021 provided a window
into what was needed: more mental health professionals, better communication with
parents and grace to meet children where they are, says American Camp Association
President and CEO Tom Rosenberg.

16 WashingtonFAMILY JANUARY 2022
BACKGROUND AND LEAF: RUSANOVSKA/DIGITALVISION
VECTORS/GETTY IMAGES
BY LINDSAY C. VANASDALAN