Camp ChancoTop Parent Questions and Answers
Q: Is my child too young to go to a sleep away camp?
A: It depends on your child's personality and confidence level. Ask the child if they think they’re ready. Ask the child's teacher. A great test to see if a child is ready to go to camp is to bring them to the Open House at Chanco on Saturday, April 12 and/or April 27th from 10AM to 4PM. This is a free event and includes lunch! Come introduce your child to camp and take a tour of the grounds. Please refer to chanco.org for more information or call 1-888-7CHANCO to make an individual appointment to visit the camp.
Q: What certifications do the summer staff who will be interacting with my child have?
A: The majority of our counseling staff is college students who were campers themselves once. They have certifications in the areas that they are responsible to instruct. Chanco is a certified American Camp Association (ACA) member in good standing and follows all of the national guidelines and policies. A Virginia State Police background check is done on every employee including kitchen staff and administrative staff each year. The standard ratio of staff to campers is one staff to six campers. The counselors stay in their own cabin in the campsite just feet away from the campers’ cabins. You are welcome to visit Chanco’s website at chanco.org to see in detail the staffing requirements and the ACA website at acavirginiascamps.org for their standards on summer staffing.
Q: Can friends stay together in campsites or cabins?
A: Yes, simply make a note on your application mentioning the other camper’s name and age. Camp is about both being with old friends and making new friends. Many children do come not knowing anyone, however through the camp program and trained staff, they will leave having made many new friends.
Q: What does my child need to pack to go to camp?
A: A detailed "what to bring" sheet is sent to parents after registration is received.
Q: What contact can I have with my child while he/she is at camp?
A: There are many ways to stay in touch with your camper. We give postal mail out every day at lunch, including care packages. Please know that campers have to sing for their mail when they receive three letters or a care package in one day. This is really fun and no child sings alone! There are usually at least ten children up front singing for mail and having fun daily! Chanco uses an Internet company named BunkNotes which enables parents to send emails to their camper and a response from the camper can also be received for a nominal fee. Pictures of campers are posted in the photo album section of our camp website daily. Through these photos, parents can see their kids having fun and also see firsthand all the various activities their child is enjoying while at camp.
Q: Can I call my child while at camp?
A: Practically all overnight camps choose not to encourage direct contact between campers and their parents during the camp session. Summer camp is a time to learn to be self sufficient, independent and self-reliant. Camp is a time to focus on having fun and making friends away from home. Child psychologists recommend that parents need to step back, allow their child to develop self-reliance away from home, and trust the camp they have chosen to provide positive care and support. If there is any problem, the parents are called promptly.
Q: What about my child’s medical needs and medication while at camp?
A: Chanco has a full time medical director to oversee all health concerns. Counseling staff are also trained to manage minor cuts and bug bites that a camper may have. The Surry Volunteer Rescue Squad EMTs are six minutes away from camp and the Volunteer Fire Station has a 25-30 minute response time. Again, Chanco's medical program is approved by the American Camp Association and is required to adhere to national medical standards. After 40 years of providing our summer camping program, Chanco knows that kids do have accidents, but we have developed a good system to keep our campers happy and healthy!
Q: Is the food good?
A: Chanco has employed a private dining service to provide the meals for our campers. They follow the ACA guidelines on healthy menus. The meals vary and are prepared in our commercial kitchen which is inspected by the Health Department regularly. Most meals are served in our air conditioned dinning hall, however some days there are special theme meals like a camp site cookout or a luau on the beach! Vegetarian meals are available at every meal. Peanut butter or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are also available at lunch and dinner if a camper doesn’t care for that particular meal. After dinner most nights, the Canteen is open so kids can get a little something sweet to snack on in the evening if they wish.
Q: What kind of religious experiences will my child have?
A: Chanco has its own brand of spirituality within its community life and is not a Bible camp. There are fun songs of prayer before each meal and a prayer before bedtime. On Sunday there is an outside service facilitated by a clergy member. Many kids are inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds them everywhere they look. A sunset on the James River, a night of stories by a golden camp fire, or a glimpse of a deer in the woods can have a peaceful and profound impact on anyone who spends time here at Chanco. The Christian experience is age appropriate and understands that campers are from many different religious backgrounds and varied denominations. Every effort is made to make all campers feel welcome, safe, and valuable members of their campsite and camp community.
Q: What do I do on the first day and last day of camp?
A: This will be included your registration information. Drop off is Sunday beginning at 3:00 pm. The staff will meet you at the top of the driveway and direct you where to park and where registration is taking place. There will be counseling staff to help you take your child’s belongings out of the car and put it in the correct campsite. During registration you will need to turn in any remaining paperwork and make final payments. You will be asked to identify who will be picking up your child at the end of the session to give us permission to release your child to their supervision (if different from yourself). Medical information will be reviewed by our medical director privately with you so he can fully understand any important information pertaining to your child. After moving through registration, the last thing to do is meet your child’s counselor and visit the camp store, the Canteen, for a great T-shirt. Pick up is always on a Friday and occurs at 9:00 am after breakfast. Visit the Canteen to collect any remaining balance on your child’s account, and get a last minute snack for the trip home. Campers will only be released to the person named by the family member dropping them off. If things change during the session, which they often do, please call the office to notify us of the change. If there is an emergency during the camp session and you need to contact your child, call the camp office and Chanco staff will be ready to assist you.
We look forward to seeing you at Chanco on the James, where kids come for summer fun!
In the Chanco Spirit,
Jim Sitzler
Camp Director
1-888-7CHANCO
