Can camp be year round?
No, camp may only be held during summer, spring breaks, out of school vacations and holidays.
Please clarify that a traditional youth camp is only licensed by NJDOH and does not require any interaction with NJDCF and these CCBDG staff check requirements unless they are dually licensed, because they are providing "child care" to 2.5 year olds and younger or are a subsidy camp especially given there are no Child Care Assistance Program grants available this year?
NJAC 8:25 Youth Camp Safety Standards does allow for the care of children birth to 17 years of age. However, the regulation for youth camp is not as robust for those 2.5 and younger. Therefore, we encourage all camps caring for this population aged 2.5 and younger to acquire a child care license through the Department of Children and Families.
Since the full fingerprint checks are not yet required for camps that are NOT subsidized. What is REQUIRED for non-subsidized camps for employees for the 2023 season?
Camps not receiving Child Care Assistance Program funding must conduct name background checks in congruence with N.J.A.C. 8:25-3.2(j-k).
What are all the guidelines are for having your own swimming pool on camp grounds?
Please refer to Section 9 of N.J.A.C. 8:25 Youth Camp Safety rule requires all swimming and recreational bathing activities be conducted at regulated public recreational bathing facilities who operate pursuant N.J.A.C. 8:26.
Our camp offsite has portable toilets but no physical bathroom. Is that going to be an issue with DOH licensing?
Portable toilets are fine, however, you must provide handwashing stations. Please refer to the Department of Health New Jersey Youth Camp Safety Standards, which can be accessed on the NJ DOH website for further questions.
When will we receive our new DOH licenses?
DOH Licenses began being emailed April 1 for all processed applications. Moving forward please allow 2-3 weeks for license processing. If you have not received your licenses in the 2-3 week timeframe please email us at [email protected].
My soccer camps are held at a college with a swimming pool. The college provides the lifeguards. Do I need a DOH summer camp license?
Yes, you are the camp operator organizing the camp and are required to be licensed by NJ DOH. The pool is merely an activity that campers may participate in.
Will my license be active year round? I see the camp is to operate during non-school hours, yet my specific campers are not school-aged.
No, the DOH youth camp license is currently applicable during the designated summer, spring breaks, holidays and vacations.
We are a camp that goes on trips all day. If we have no facility set how does that work with NJ State inspection?
Wherever the campers meet as the base, that is where you want to indicate as your 'camp site' location. You can also submit an itinerary which we can add to your file regarding your camp locations.
Is the requirement for three character references for each staff person new for 2023? Is this for new hires only for 2023? Does it apply to those who are rehires?
The 3 character check requirement has been in effect since 1993. The provision is outlined at N.J.A.C. 8:25-3.2(i).
Are any interactions with animals considered high risk?
Yes, animals may carry various diseases like salamanders and salmonella. These types of communicable diseases are monitored.
Do the directors need Basic Life Support (BLS) training?
N.J.A.C 8:25 requires the designated health director to be certified pursuant 5.2(a) at a resident camp and 5.2(b) at a day camp. Additionally, at all camps the health director must be certified in advanced level CPR. Lastly, in the youth camp safety rule the camp director must provide training to all staff, pursuant N.J.A.C. 3.2(d)1 Basic principles of emergency first aid, blood borne pathogens, infection control, and hand washing practices; daily health surveillance etc. Please refer to the Current Recognized List of Certification Agencies.
Will COVID-19 Tests be provided or will they need to be purchased?
The youth camp program has not received any information from the Communicable Disease Service regarding the availability of free COVID-19 test kits. If we are contacted about the availability of free COVID-19 test we will post that information on our website.
What constitutes an “outbreak” illness concern and how do we report?
An outbreak is defined as an occurrence of disease greater than would otherwise be expected (generally 2 or more individuals infected) at a particular time and place with similar symptoms and exposures. Immediately notify the Local Health Department of the jurisdiction in which the camp is located. A directory of local health departments can be found at http://localhealth.nj.gov. Camps must also email [email protected] within 24 hours.
If you are American Camp Association (ACA) certified then we do not need a pre-operational inspection?
It is at the discretion of the Local Health Department dependent upon resource availability whether a pre-operational is conducted at an ACA camp.
If our camp is held at a school and we cannot schedule an inspection until the school year has ended, but camp begins right after the school year what do you suggest we do?
The pre-operational inspection with your local health official is mainly comprised of a desk audit to look over policies and procedures. Schedule your pre-op and let them know the location of your camp site. Your operational inspection happens during the summer, so the camp will be in full operations by the time that inspector comes for their unannounced visit.
Is there a list of high-risk activities available?
No. The Youth Camp Safety rule lists a few activities such as swimming, archery, horseback riding, rock-climbing, but it is the responsibility of the camp operator to think about the age and ability of their camp population to make a decision of high-risk activities. The certificate is $50.00 for day and $100.00 for resident.
Could you clarify what the guidelines are for “minimal recreation component” in order to not qualify as a summer camp?
Minimal Recreation Component, refers to sedentary activities like gaming, coding, reading, etc.
Do we get our inspector ahead of time?
Camps must contact their local health authority to conduct the pre-operational inspection. Your operational inspection is conducted by the NJDOH-Youth Camp Safety Project who is the licensing authority. We do assign your operational inspector at the time of application processing.
If we are running a camp with a swim component but the pool we use is at an outside facility like a private school that provides their own lifeguards, will that be regulated or because we are operating that camp with the swim component as part of our registration fee, we would still need to regulate our camp with NJ DOH?
If your camp offers high-risk activities like swimming you are required to register. Visit our website or email us at [email protected].