When renting your facility, you will naturally have less control over the protocols and practices of the outside group. Specifically, and most importantly, the supervision of the children. And when there is a gap in supervision, that’s when bad things happen, such as, bullying, injuries, and abuse.

This is why communication and expectation-setting with these rental groups are critical in creating a safe environment.

Think about this:

Your camp rents out your facility to a local nonprofit that brings youth together to enjoy a fun camp experience. During their stay, two children are alone in the bathroom and touching each other inappropriately. One of your staff members walks into the bathroom to find the two children and immediately reports it. This nonprofit is well-known in the community and news of this incident spreads quickly. Because this incident happened in your facility, parents begin to question your abuse prevention policies and practices when signing up for camp that summer.

This story reminds us of the importance of holding outside groups — including their staff, volunteers, and program participants — to the same standards of care and safety as we would our internal teams. That’s why it’s essential to communicate clear expectations and set them up for success.

When working with rental groups or hosting family camps, consider the following strategies to keep all children safe and prevent any incidents of abuse.

Implement a Strong Rental Agreement

A well-structured rental agreement serves not only as a tool to clarify responsibilities and expectations, but also a way to enforce your camp’s commitment to abuse prevention.

As a starting point, the agreement should include clear guidelines on conducting background checks and/or sex offender registry checks for all employees and volunteers working with the outside organization.

Building on this initial step, it’s critical that the agreement explicitly states the group’s responsibility for the direct supervision of the youth in their care. This includes defining what engaged supervision looks like in high-risk areas such as bathrooms, locker rooms, pools, and lakes. To support this expectation, you can include your organization’s specific child abuse prevention strategies.

In addition to including your abuse prevention strategies, outline your incident reporting practices and procedures. Make it clear that any inappropriate behavior or rule-breaking must be reported immediately to both the group’s leadership and your camp’s administration. By integrating these detailed expectations into the agreement, you send a strong message that your camp takes abuse prevention seriously.  

Provide Education & Training

Many camps have excellent training and education programs around abuse prevention. This may not be the case with every organization using your facility. That’s why it’s important that your own staff are trained on what red flags and warning signs to look for, and that all outside groups are aware of your organization’s policies and what’s expected of them.

When training your staff, remind them that your organization’s policies apply regardless of who is utilizing the facility. Encourage them to speak up if they see or hear something that doesn’t feel right.

When educating the outside group, encourage them to train their staff using the same abuse prevention training you use for your staff. This provides consistency and alignment. Have them sign and acknowledge a code of conduct that outlines your abuse prevention strategies and makes it clear that there is zero-tolerance for any rule breaking or inappropriate behavior.

When implementing this extra layer, include a zero-tolerance statement. An example of this statement is:

“Our camp views protecting children and youth as an integral part of our mission. We have a zero-tolerance policy for child abuse in our organization, on our property, or in our programs. Any act of abuse will be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.”

Download our sample family camp code of conduct and adapt it to the type of groups you are hosting at your camp.

It’s important that all outside organizations are aware of your rules when they enter your facility. In addition to initial training, consider posting child safety rules on the walls as a constant reminder.

As you welcome rental groups this fall, it’s crucial to set clear expectations and maintain open communication with both your staff and the outside organizations. A strong rental agreement, combined with a focus on your camp’s abuse prevention strategies, helps ensure that everyone is well-prepared and set up for success.

This blog was written by The Redwoods Group — a mission-driven insurance carrier that only insures camps and other youth-serving organizations. Redwoods' model leverages data and insights from its insuring relationships to help customers scale their mission, protect their campers and create safe communities for all.

Periodically, the American Camp Association (ACA) makes timely and relevant information about products and services available to its members so they can make informed decisions for their camps. However, the ACA does not endorse products, services, or companies.