Emotional and Physical Health

Camp can be a deeply positive and life-changing experience, and we care greatly about the physical and mental well-being of every camper. Our directors, leadership team, and medical staff have years of experience supporting campers through the challenges that naturally arise in a camp environment.

Support

Our medical team provides basic care, first aid, and medication distribution/storage to campers and staff throughout their stay with us. Our leadership staff offer supportive conversations and pep talks to campers who need a little extra TLC, such as homesickness support and other mild emotions that may come up at camp.  In the event your camper needs support or care beyond what we can provide we will contact you to make an appropriate plan.

If your camper may need special accommodation while at camp please contact us before enrollment. We find that the more honest and detailed you can be with our staff ahead of time, the better the camper’s time at camp will be. We want to work with you to the best of our ability. We expect each camper to be able to dress themselves, eat, shower, follow directions and navigate our rustic property.

We can setup specific accommodations before camp including but not limited to: making sure camper’s bunk is near a restroom, modification of activities, modified seating plans etc. Our goal is to make this experience positive for all, please partner with us to make appropriate accommodations at the time of registration. 

Mental health challenges are at an all-time high, especially among children. While camp has many emotional benefits, we are not an alternative to therapy.  Campers should arrive in a stable emotional and mental state and ready to participate fully.

Please note that there is some unstructured time when counselors are nearby and supervising the area, but not always directly next to each camper, so it’s possible that some peer conversations may occur without an adult immediately present. This is a normal and intentional part of the camp experience, where we maintain strong counselor-to-camper ratios while also encouraging campers to develop social skills and build independence in a supportive environment.

While camp is a positive and life changing experience for many, it also can be a physically and emotionally challenging experience. However, campers who struggle at home often do well at camp if they have positive coping mechanisms and a plan in place ahead of time. We encourage campers to bring their regular medication (to be administered by our medical team)  and coping skills to camp (stuffed animal, journal, sketch pad, fidget toy, graphic novel, etc.).

If your camper regularly seeks the support of a mental health professional and would like to make sure they have access to this person while at camp, please contact us to make a plan. Campers who have been hospitalized for mental health concerns must wait one full year before applying for camp to ensure they are ready for everything that camp has to offer.

Vaccinations

We believe vaccinations are an essential part of a comprehensive approach to keeping kids healthy at camp. We follow the CDPH vaccination requirements and require the Pneumococcal vaccine.

• Personal exemptions are not accepted.
• Medical exemptions are accepted only if registered with CAIR-ME.

If a government agency imposes a vaccine requirement for camp attendance, or our own medical team decides to require a specific vaccine, or if an outbreak occurs and your camper is on property and isn’t fully vaccinated against that illness, your camper must be picked up immediately. In such cases, you will not be eligible for any credits or refunds.

We urge you to make sure that you have sufficient insurance to cover cancellation fees in this circumstance. We want kids to experience camp and also for your investment to be protected!

Emergency pick-up policy

If a camper needs to leave camp early for any reason (including health or behavior concerns), families must arrange pick-up within the following timeframes:

• Within 2-3 hours if you live a few hours from camp
• Within 6-12 hours if you live a significant distance but within California
• Within 12-18 hours if you live out of state
• Within 24 hours if you live outside of the United States

If you plan to be out of town for your campers stay at Kennolyn, please make sure you advise your emergency contacts in advance so that they are aware of this policy. We recognize this policy cannot always be met as there are many factors. What we ask is that you be aware of the policy and work with us in the unlikely event that your camper needs to leave camp early.

Homesickness can also be a normal part of camp life. If you would like to read more you can do so here.

We continue to stay up to date with requirements and recommendations from the CDC, AAP, CDPH, CalOSHA, the County of Santa Cruz, and the American Camp Association.