The Seattle Times
Where to find camps
April 14, 1997

Parents can turn to several resources to find out about summer camps in the greater Seattle area and the West:

-- Northwest Parent Publishing's free Summer Learning guide is now available at area libraries. The guide, compiled by the publishers of "Seattle's Child" and "Eastside Parent," is a fairly comprehensive listing of day and overnight camps and specialty summer programs in the Seattle area and beyond.

-- The American Camping Association's "Guide to ACA-Accredited Camps" for 1997-98 ($16.95) lists 18 camps, including a few the above directory misses. It is available at some libraries and is also available via the Internet at http://www.aca-camps.org .

-- "Peterson's Summer Opportunities for Kids and Teenagers" has information about 1,400 camps nationwide, plus academic and travel programs. Cost is $28.95, including shipping and handling. (800) 338-3282, ext. 600. Peterson's Education Center Internet site is http://www.petersons.com

-- KidsCamps Homepage is another resource to camps nationwide: http://www.kidscamps.com . So is the Camp and Conference Homepage: http://www.camping.org .

-- Contact the recreation departments of the city of Seattle, King County and other local governments, as well as the Educational Outreach program at the University of Washington, to find out about additional programs.

Ironically, it's often parents who are most traumatized by a child's departure for summer camp.

The American Camping Association, which accredits more than 5,000 of the nation's 8,500 day and resident camps, suggests a few questions parents should ask about their child's camp, in order to ease their minds:

-- What is the education and background of the camp director?

-- What is the camp program's philosophy?

-- How old are the camp counselors, and what are the requirements to be one?

-- Is the ratio of campers to counselors reasonable for your child?

-- What kind of medical facilities and safety measures are in place, especially if your child has special needs?

-- Ask for the names of former campers and their families you can contact.

-- Ask if you can visit the camp beforehand.

-- Is the camp accredited by ACA? If not, why not?