Health & Safety: Our Top Priority

At Camp Casco, your child’s health is in trusted hands. Our experienced medical team carefully manages and administers all camper medications to ensure they’re safe, supported, and able to fully enjoy the camp experience.

✅ What We Can Administer At Camp:

• Medications, vitamins, and supplements from home provided in original containers with original labels

• Over-the-counter medications (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen) with parent approval if needed

🚫 What We Can’t Administer At Camp:

• We are not allowed to administer any type of medication that is not in its original packaging

• We do not administer IV medications

• We do not administer cannabis or THC products

👩‍⚕️ How We Manage Medications At Camp:

• Medication schedules are submitted by families prior to camp via the Parent Portal, and confirmed at camp check-in

• Parents can approve or decline over-the-counter medications prior to camp in the Health History Form in the Parent Portal

• Medications are only administered by members of our Med Shed, all of whom are licensed medical professionals

• Administration of any medication to a camper in the camp setting is noted in our camper’s health logs

• Medications are stored securely in our Med Shed. Dedicated refrigerators are also available for cold meds.

For more information, please see our Medication Administration policies.

To protect all members of our community, Camp Casco follows Massachusetts state health regulations and may adopt additional safety measures as needed (e.g. during outbreaks of contagious illness).

We currently require the following up-to-date vaccines to attend Camp Casco as a camper:

• MMR - 2 doses

• Polio - 4 doses

• DTaP - 5 doses

• Td or Tdap - 1 dose

• Hepatitis B - 3 doses

• Varicella - 2 doses

• Meningitis B -

  • For campers in grades 7-10: 1 dose

  • For campers in grades 11-12: 2 doses

We currently recommend the following immunizations to attend Camp Casco as a camper:

• COVID-19

Exceptions:

• All requests for exceptions are subject to review and approval by Camp Casco’s medical team. In situations when one or more cases of a vaccine-preventable or any other communicable disease are present in a camp, all susceptible children, including those with medical or religious exemptions, are subject to exclusion. Exceptions will be considered in the following circumstances:

  • Medical Contraindication:

    • Immunizations may be waived with certification by a physician that he or she has examined the individual and that in the physician’s opinion the physical condition of the individual is such that his or her health would be endangered by such immunization.

  • Revaccination or Delayed Vaccination Related To Treatment:

    • Immunization requirements may be waived for children who require revaccination or delayed vaccination but have not been able to complete the series due to their medical condition and/or the timing of their treatment. Documentation from the child’s physician explaining the reason for delayed vaccination will be required.

  • Religious Exemptions

    • If a camper has religious objections to physical examinations or immunizations, the parent or guardian shall submit a written and signed statement, in a form acceptable to Camp Casco, to the effect that the camper is in good health, attesting to the family’s sincerely held religious belief, and providing the contact information for at least one religious leader who can verify the family’s religious belief.

Camp Casco reserves the right to approve or deny religious exceptions for the safety of its vulnerable population, in its sole discretion. For more information, our immunization policies are available here.

We take every precaution to keep our camp community healthy and safe. Here are a few of the ways we help prevent the spread of illness:

• 🌡️ Health Screenings

  • All volunteers and campers undergo health screenings upon arrival to camp. This includes the following, all done discreetly from the privacy of your vehicle upon arrival to camp:

    • Temperature screening

    • Symptom screening

    • Lice checks

    • COVID-19 rapid antigen test

• 🫧 Daily Hygiene Practices

  • Campers wash hands regularly throughout the day

  • Twice-a-day tooth brushing and daily showers are required at all sleepaway camps

  • Hand sanitizer is available throughout camp

  • Common areas are cleaned regularly with disinfectant

• ☀️ Outdoor Safety

  • Spray-on sunscreen is always available throughout camp, and campers are reminded to apply it regularly

  • Campers are encouraged to wear protective clothing like wide-brim hats, long sleeves, and long pants when needed

  • Lip balm with SPF is recommended to protect sensitive skin

  • DEET-free bug spray is available and encouraged regularly throughout the day, especially prior to evening activities. If there is another type of bug spray you would prefer your child use, please send it from home and notify us in writing, and we’ll be sure to encourage your child to use their personal spray

To help keep our entire camp community safe, we ask that all campers arrive in good health and ready to participate. We may require documentation—such as a negative COVID-19 test—to ensure a safe camp session. Camp Casco may delay or deny participation for any camper showing signs of illness or unable to complete necessary health screenings, in order to protect the well-being of all participants.

For more details, please refer to our Daily Health Supervision policies.

Our staff and medical team are trained to respond quickly, compassionately, and professionally when a camper isn't feeling their best. Here's how we care for campers when illness or injury arises:

• 🤧 Mild Illness or Discomfort

  • Camp counselors monitor campers closely for early signs of illness, dehydration, or fatigue.

  • If a camper doesn't feel well, they’ll be brought to the Med Shed for evaluation by our medical team.

  • Campers with mild symptoms (like a sore throat or cough without a fever) may rest in a quiet space, receive supportive care, and be monitored closely.

  • Over-the-counter medications may be given if appropriate and approved in advance—every dose is documented by our medical team.

  • If mild symptoms persist, parents will be contacted to decide next steps together.

• 🌡️ Fever or Communicable Illness

  • Campers with a fever of 100.5°F or higher or signs of a communicable disease will be cared for in a designated isolation space and their parent/guardian will be contacted immediately.

  • Isolation spaces are quiet, separate from cabins, and supervised by trained staff.

  • We will work closely with you to arrange pick-up or additional care if needed.

• 🚑 Serious Illness or Injury

  • For any significant medical concern, our team will contact you right away and determine the best plan together.

  • If your child requires emergency care, they will be safely transported to the nearest medical facility and accompanied by a trusted member of our camp team until you're able to meet them.

• 📞 Keeping You Informed

  • We’ll always call you if we’re concerned about your child’s health or if a situation isn’t improving.

  • If we can’t reach you, we’ll use the emergency contacts listed in your health forms.

  • All contact attempts and health updates are carefully documented.

Every child is different, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your child’s needs and how we can best care for them in the camp setting. We are committed to working closely with you to make sure your child receives top-notch care throughout their time at camp.

For more information, please see our policies on Daily Health Supervision and Medical Emergencies & Accidents.

Questions? Reach out to our team anytime to learn more or request a full copy of our health policies.