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SAFETY & COMPLIANCE

Since 1996, Safety First

Our restructured 2020 Headfirst Summer Camp programming will be focused on creating a safe, fun, active summer for all campers, families & staff. We will be instituting purposeful safety measures that align with CDC recommendations and comply with and exceed Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia regulations and restrictions during the reopening phases of each jurisdiction.  We will maintain continuous safety-focused communications with families in the weeks leading up to camp and throughout the summer as regulations change and we all adapt to a new environment.

Additional safety protocols can be reviewed below. Please understand that the above is not a comprehensive list and more information is available here(link to web) regarding how Headfirst will keep campers, families, and staff safe at camp in 2020.

  • Before your session(s), we will communicate regularly with details on how we are preparing for camp – and how we’d like families to do the same. 
  • Specifics on how enhanced safety measures may affect certain programming elements will be made available in the coming weeks. 
  • We will be asking every family to sign a new COVID waiver for each camper before the start of camp.

​​If you have further questions please reach out to our customer service team at (202) 625-1921 or email us at customercare@headfirstcamps.com.

Additional Headfirst Summer Camps Safety Protocols

Pre-Arrival

  • We ask that you stay vigilant in monitoring you camper(s) for any signs of illness including, but not limited to:
    • Fever of 100.4 or higher
    • Shortness of Breath
    • Difficulty Breathing
    • Cold-like symptoms (cough, runny nose, etc.)
    • Sore Throat
    • Chills
    • Muscle Pains
    • New loss of taste or smell
    • Any other symptoms listed by the CDC as a potential sign of COVID-19
  • If your camper is exhibiting any of the above symptoms, or is showing other signs of illness, we kindly ask that you keep your camper home until the following conditions have been met:
    • They have had a negative COVID-19 test; OR
    • Have been free of fever and/or any fever-reducing medication for seventy-two (72) hours, other symptoms have improved, and at least ten (10) days have passed since symptoms first appeared
  • In addition, we ask that you to keep your camper home if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus or if someone in the household has any of the signs of illness listed above
  • We also ask that if your camper tests positive for COVID-19 during the week of camp, you alert us as soon as possible

Arrival/Drop-off

  • When you arrive, you will see signage at our entrance as a reminder that campers and families are not permitted to enter camp if any of the following have occurred:
    • They have been diagnosed with COVID-19
    • Exhibit Symptoms of COVID-19
    • Have had contact with a person that has or is suspected to have COVID-19 within the past 14 days
  • We ask that you stay in your car during drop-off, and do not walk your camper up to the check-in area
  • We will have staff posted at the designated drop-off area to greet and walk your camper to our check-in process

Check-in

  • You will see our staff in masks, and we invite families and campers to wear masks in the car as our staff approach, based on their own comfort and preferences
  • We will maintain social distancing measures where possible with fewer staff involved in your arrival to our sites
  • While still in the car, your camper will have their temperature checked using a non-contact forehead thermometer; if your camper’s temperature is 100.4 degree or higher, he/she will not able to join us at camp
  • Markings on the ground and signage will help guide your camper through the check-in process
  • We will provide your camper with hand sanitizer upon arrival. If there are any allergies we need to be aware of, please let us know

Camp Procedures

  • Staff are required to wear face masks at all times, and masks are optional for campers based on family preference. We encourage campers over age 9 to wear masks if they can do so safely.
  • If your camper falls ill during camp, we will have an isolated area to care for them until a you or another parent/guardian is able to pick him or her up
  • We will have signs posted throughout camp to remind campers of proper hygiene procedures
  • In addition to our hydration and sunscreen breaks, we will take breaks to either wash hands or administer hand sanitizer to campers
  • Please pack your camper’s lunch in a sealed lunch bag marked with your camper’s name. Campers may not share food items so please pack unique items for each child if siblings are present
  • Campers will eat lunch with their group while following social distancing procedures
  • Campers will not be allowed to share water bottles, and we encourage you to pack enough water for the day if you are uncomfortable with your camper using camp/facility provided hydration stations
    • Please note these hydration stations will be cleaned and sanitized daily for the safety of your camper and our staff

Activity & Play

  • Camper groups will not mix on campus, and each camper group and staff member will remain distanced from others
  • Each group will have a designated area to keep their personal items, and campers’ bags will not be stored together
  • We will sanitize/wipe-down equipment after each session
  • High-fives, handshakes, and other forms of celebration involving contact will not be allowed. Instead, spirit fingers, connection signs, and thumbs-ups will be used to show celebration

Pick-up

  • We ask that, if possible, the same person who dropped your camper off pick them up at the end of the day
  • We recommend against anyone who meets the criteria for a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 being the designated drop-off and pick-up person
  • Please stay in your car and proceed through the carpool line, with your carpool placard on the passenger-side dashboard
  • Where possible, please bring your own pen to sign out

Sanitizing

  • We will routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces throughout the camp day
  • We will use daily checklists to ensure that all equipment, surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, hand rails, light switches, sink handles, counter tops, cooler buttons, etc.), restrooms, and lunch areas are sanitized before the start of the next camp day
  • We will use products that are EPA-approved for use against the coronavirus and we will follow manufacturer’s instructions related to safe storage, concentration, contact time, and protective equipment for all cleaning and disinfection

Camper Illness

  • If a camper begins to manifest symptoms of a potential COVID-19 infection while at camp, we will contact his or her parent/guardian immediately in accordance with camp communication protocol; if, in the judgment of our leadership staff, the camper is exhibiting serious symptoms necessitating further emergency action, we will proactively seek additional medical assistance in addition to contacting the designated parent/guardian
  • We will keep any camper suspected of COVID-19 infection isolated in a designated area and attended to by a limited number of trained staff while the camper awaits pick up; if necessary, we will provide a mask for any potentially-infectious camper who does not have his or her own mask
  • We will activate substantial additional sanitization protocol to clean and disinfect any surfaces and objects prior to allows campers back in any area inhabited by a camper suspected of coronavirus infection

Notification

  • If we receive notice from a parent or guardian of a confirmed or presumptive case of COVID-19 amongst our campers, we will [procedure for (1) directly contacting families of campers who were in immediate contact with the camper in question and (2) notifying campers who were not believed to be in direct contact with the camper, but attended the same week of programming]