Horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, singing songs around the campfire...sending the kids off to summer camp is exciting for both parents and kids! According the to the American Camp Association, more than 12,000 day and resident camps exist in the U.S., which means an overwhelming range of choices for parents.

If your summer camp research has more to do with the activities offered than the safety of the facility, however, it's time to do your homework!

First, do you know the difference between licensing and accreditation? “Each state has different standards for licensing,” says Peter Surgenor, the National President of the American Camp Association, which accredits day and overnight camps in the US. “Some are more stringent than others, others are not so stringent. That's why it's important for parents to check state licensing.”

While camps in all but six states must be licensed, becoming accredited is voluntary. According to the ACA, only 25% of summer camps in the U.S. are accredited. In Canada, summer camps must comply with different federal and provincial legislation dealing with things like health, food service, boating safety, and fire safety. But, similar to regulations in the US, summer camp accreditation is entirely voluntary.

“Every child deserves a safe camp experience,” says Surgenor. “Parents have a responsibility to do their due diligence.”

Oded Gottesman, whose four-year-old son Yoni drowned at a local summer camp in 2005, strongly agrees. “Children cannot protect themselves,” says Gottesman. “That's why parents need to be careful about what they ask. Find out what licensing is needed in your area, and ask if the camp is licensed. Then, pick up the phone and call the licensing agency, and make sure that the camp is telling the truth.”

The Gottesmans later found out that the club they trusted with their son was not even licenced. “We signed our son up for a camp that was part of an exclusive country club,” says Gottesman. “It was a very expensive club, and they misrepresented themselves as very well-operated.”

Yoni's drowning was captured on a surveillance video that shows one of the camp counselors dunking the child repeatedly in the water. “He was playing with the kids in the pool,” says Gottesman. “He thought it was okay to dunk kids – he dunked my son 13 times. They had pool rules, somewhere, but nobody ever used them or made sure that they were followed.”

After being dunked, the counselor turned to play with other kids, and Yoni struggled to swim to the edge of the pool. He was found floating face down in the water, more than eight minutes later. He later died at the hospital. The Gottesmans have started a site to spread awareness about summer camp safety.

While making sure that your child's camp is licensed and accredited won't eliminate all dangers, registration  with a body such as the American Camp Association or the Canadian Camping Association ensures parents that the camp has had an independent safety audit that goes beyond standard regulations in most areas.

The independent audits at the ACA mean camps must meet up to 300 safety standards. “There are 31 standards that a camp must pass for accreditation,” says Surgenor. “That includes having a complete health history of all kids and staff, making sure that staff First Aid and CPR is current, thinking about emergency medical transportation, and requiring protective headgear for activities such as bicycling or rock climbing.”

The ACA also does background checks om all employees at the summer camps. Twenty-eight states don't require criminal background checks of camp employees. Surgenor recommends that parents first check the National Department of Justice website to search employee names in the database, to see if further screening is needed.

Surgenor also recommends that parents:

*Talk to other parents whose children have attended the camp
*Comparison shop before choosing a summer camp for their child
*Go to CampParents.org to get a list of interview questions to ask camp staff

Samantha Wilson, founder and president of Kidproof, has some valuable tips on questions to ask summer camp personnel:

• Will the children be transported? Is it by bus or by parent drivers?
• What activities will the children participate in?
• Are there any hazards the teacher needs to be cautious of? Do you need to discuss them ahead of time with your child?
• How much time do the summer camp staff take discussing the safety rules with the children before activities?
• What plan do the staff have in place if a child becomes lost or injured?
•Are the staff certified in Emergency First Aid and CPR in case a child is injured?
• Do they have all the information they need to contact you immediately if there is an emergency?
• Do they have a recent picture of your child that they will take with them in case they become lost?

Summer camp can be a memorable, rewarding experience, if you make sure that the camp you're trusting with your child's life is doing everything in their power to put safety first.

Parents can find a list of summer camp regulations by state at the ACA website.

Or, if you're in Canada, learn more from the Canadian Camping Association.

By Erin Stringer