Camp Kaleidoscope

Dates:           July 8-12, July 15-19, July 22-26, July 29-August 2, August 6-9

Location:       St. Paul High School
                      2675 Draper Ave, Ottawa, ON K2H 7A1

Hours:            8:45 AM - 3:45 PM

Cost:              $850 per week, $680 August 6-9

 

Before/After Care Hours:  Cost is $75.00 per week ($60 August 8 week)

Allows for  up to 1 hour before &/OR 1 hour after - Between 7:45-8:45 AM & 3:45-4:45 PM

 

Cost for Third Party Providers (3PP):  $875 per week, $700 August 6-9

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PREAMBLE:
The recent, sudden Closure of 2 other Local Charitable Supports for Autism will have an effect on our Community now – and for this Summer.
Children at Risk, Ottawa is grateful to again receive Canada Summer Jobs Grants and we are EXTREMELY excited to again to be able to Offer Our 14th Year of Camp Kaleidoscope for 2024!
However – a significant reduction to this Funding will also affect our Program in accommodating less children this year…

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We applaud our other Community Partners - the Ontario Ministry of Education & the Ottawa Catholic School Board – who both enable our Program to use a School for Camp K – so we are a GO!!
Applications will be taken up to Friday, May 24, 2024 midnight.  ALL Camp Applications will require $50 NON-REFUNDABLE Deposit to be considered.
The Deposit is Non-Refundable – but it will be applied to Camp Fees & Membership.
ALSO – We are again offering Before/After Care between 7:45-8:45 am and 3:45-4:45 pm for a Fee of $75 per week ($60 August 6 week)

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2024 Camp Kaleidoscope Registration is Now Open!

Application: Registration is using a Link to a secure Google Drive – To apply for this year’s
Camp Kaleidoscope, please Click Here to Register

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Please note, that you will need the following before you begin:

• Alternate Contact names/telephone numbers

• List of your child’s Medications/Supplements (those taken at Camp & at Home)

• Your child’s Health Card Number

• The name, telephone number of your child’s doctor/location of the Doctor’s clinic

• Your child’s height/weight

 

Some Points for This Year:

• 7 Hours of Camp – 8:45 am-3:45 pm

• Cost $850 for weeks 1-4  $680 for week 5

• Before/After Care 7:45-8:45 am, 3:45-4:45 pm available for $75 per week ($60 August 8 week)

• Due to an extreme cut in Funding - our Camp Location has limited Space this Year - Campers will initially only be considered for 1 Week – you can Register for More but weeks may be limited due to Space/Community Needs

• Registrations are NOT taken on a First-Come Basis – All Application Requests accepted up to Midnight Friday, May 24, 2024.  Applications can be made after this Date but subject to Space

• Allocations will be completed by June 7, 2024 and Confirmations within a few days - with options for additional weeks - Payment MUST be made in Full with Membership once you are Notified

• All Participant Families must have a Current, Up-to-Date Children at Risk Membership - Membership of $100 for New Families, $65 for Current Families (needed for Insurance Liability Purposes)

• Intake Interviews for New Campers will take place prior to confirmation of Registration VIA Skype, Google Meets, Zoom or other Virtual Medium

• Please send a Photo of your child to car.campk@gmail.com The should be a face-on, shoulders/head shot – no hat or sunglasses. If you cannot email – text to 613-261-4442

 

With the high level of supervision and experienced staff, the average cost/Camper for Camp Kaleidoscope's 5-day week is over $2,000+.
However, our lower Fees are due to the generous funding of our Donors – who, along with Children at Risk, wish to assist the Autism Community families with camp opportunities that are affordable and accessible.

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BACKGROUND:

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Children at Risk, Ottawa will again be offering Camp Kaleidoscope - an all Day Summer Respite Camp (established in 2011) for children diagnosed within the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) for the Summer of 2024
The King’s Daughters & Sons (Ottawa City Union) & The Difference Makers will continue as our Major Donors– and along with Donations, Fundraising and other private Funders, plans are again for 5 weeks of Camp this summer!
Additionally, for 2024 we are AGAIN receiving a significant Canada Summer Jobs Grant BUT there is a 43% cut this Year from Last Year…
We also want to express our Appreciation to the Ottawa Catholic School Board, The Ontario Ministry of Education and the Provincial Government

Individuals with any level of Autism have difficulty with Summer Camps due to their social and communication deficits as well as their unique behavioural challenges. Add in “Severe” Autism and “High Needs” and the situation is immeasurable in complexity. To adequately service the target clientele the camp needs to be a “specialized camp”.

 

We would also like to note here that we differentiate between level of functionality and need, as we have many Campers with a diagnosis of high-functioning Autism and/or Asperger Syndrome – but also were high-needs due to behavioural challenges, often making it difficult for them to participate in a camp for typically-developing children – of whom many were in the Leadership Camp section.

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Children at Risk’s objectives with a Specialized Camp is to provide a recreational camp which, through expertise and proven techniques, will accommodate the deficits of autism such as communication, socialization and behaviour seamlessly while allowing the Camper to have the stimulation, excitement and fun that summer camp is renowned for and an understated right of any child regardless of the severity of their disability. Too often children with severe Autism are denied access to programs and/or if access is granted, the parent must pay extra to send a 1:1 worker. This discriminates against a child with higher needs and penalizes both the child and their family by not having this opportunity that is available for typically-developing children!

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Our Camp Spaces are limited - with plans (without additional Funding) for only 15 children per week.
Our Camp employs qualified, experienced staff and offers a 1:1 supervision ratio. Ages 4-21+

 The Camp addresses three main areas:

1. The Camper – Provide a 1:1 Camper:Counsellor level of supervision to ensure a safe, accommodating, non-judgemental day camp for the Autistic child.  Provide the camper with the opportunity to improve social skills, sense of autonomy, leisure skills and play repertoires and possibly make life long friendships.  Objectives include:

   • Maintaining or improving the child’s functioning level

   • Maintaining or improving existing skills and/or to develop new skills

2. Parents & Siblings – Benefit parents by allowing them the reduced stress from knowing that their child is with understanding individuals who will accommodate their child and not expel them from camp for the slightest infraction of social behaviour.  This also provides the parent the benefit of knowing that they have a number of weeks where they can maintain their normal working hours and not use up their full annual vacation time to supervise their child. Also to provide families with the opportunity to spend dedicated time with Siblings that in many families, unintentionally suffer due to the demands of the child on the Spectrum.

3. The Community – Extend Summer employment to College and University Students with appropriate training pertinent to the ASD Spectrum and provide hands on application in real life situations that will benefit all children that they teach and especially those on the ASD Spectrum.  Educate younger camp counsellors on the complexities of the ASD field and assist to make informed decisions about continuing in this area through higher education for i.e.  ABA, OT, SLP employment or hands on activities.

4. Our Camp Spaces are limited - with plans (without additional Funding) for only 15 children per week.