Inclusion at Camp JCC

Inclusion at Camp JCC is weaved through our program from supporting campers and staff with disabilities who need accommodations during the summer to acknowledging and respecting camper and staff pronouns. We welcome everyone with enthusiasm, inclusive of all faiths and backgrounds and are proud of our diverse community. Our inclusion staff team is made up of individuals with years of experience working with children with disabilities and varying needs.

INCLUSION PHILOSOPHY

We believe that every child should have the opportunity to experience the joy of summer camp. We believe that each camper can participate, can succeed, and can make friends. We believe that inclusion is good for everyone – kids with and without disabilities, families, staff, and our community!

Welcome back events:

Sneak Peek: June 12, 4:15 - 5:15 PM | For inclusion campers only! This welcome back is a more intimate look at camp. Meet your inclusion support counselors, see who your bunk mates will be & familiarize yourself with campus & your camp schedule.
Baruch Haba (Welcome Back): June 13, 4:15 - 5:30 PM | Welcome to Camp! Meet your counselors, see who will be in your bunk, check out campus & see your camp friends!

Application Process and Timeline

Please read through this page entirely. If you have any questions after you have finished reading all the information below, please contact us. We can help determine if there are accommodations or supports that would benefit your child. In general, if your child has an IEP, 504 plan, Functional Behavior Assessment, and/or a Behavioral Intervention Plan they will be considered for the program.
After determining that your camper would benefit from our Inclusion Program, and you would like to apply, please submit the Inclusion Application for 2025 HERE and the Professionals Form HERE for your camper. The application asks for information about your camper and what weeks you are interested in registering. The Professionals Form needs to be completed by a teacher or support professional who has worked closely with your camper within the past year; we will not accept a form filled out by a parent or babysitter/nanny.
We must consider each camper’s needs individually, and we will accommodate as many weeks as we can, considering safety, programming, and staffing. Priority will be given to previous year’s campers.
All Inclusion Applications and Professional Forms are due by April 21!
We will contact you once we've reviewed the camper application and professionals form in order to complete your camper's registration. Please do not register your camper for camp before hearing from our inclusion team.
Your camper may be placed on a waitlist in case of cancellations.

Who is eligible for Camp JCC’s Inclusion Program?

Campers who are rising 1 - 8 graders.
Campers with cognitive, sensory, and/or processing disabilities are welcome. The largest proportion of campers in the inclusion program the last few years have been on the autism spectrum, but we have also supported campers with hearing impairments, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and others. Our campus is not fully accessible for those with mobility disabilities.
We do not provide one-on-one staffing. Campers need to be able to change clothes, eat, and use the toilet independently. While inclusion staff give individual support when campers need it, each inclusion staff person serves 3 - 6 campers, often in different groups, and campers need to be able to participate in activities in a group of about 16 to 20 campers without an inclusion staff person for most of the day.
We prioritize the safety of all of our campers and staff. If a camper harms themselves or others or cannot participate in our program safely even with extra support from our staff, Camp JCC may not be able to accommodate your child. Please view our Behavior Expectations with your camper.
If your camper has a physical, developmental, social/emotional, or behavioral concern and you are not sure if they would be considered as part of the inclusion program, please contact us. We can help determine if there are accommodations or supports that would benefit your child. In general, any child with an IEP, 504 plan, Functional Behavior Assessment and/or a Behavioral Intervention Plan would be considered part of the program.
Please keep in mind that camp is different from school! Some campers may have a hard time at school and do much better at camp, with a lack of academic pressures, more preferred activities, and more movement. Other campers may have a smooth year at school, and struggle with camp, with weekly changes in adults and peers, more unstructured time, outdoor environment, and more transitions and unpredictability.

Campers who may be a good fit include those who:

are partially or fully mainstreamed in school who need social or sensory support.
enjoy being in large groups of new peers for much of the day, but who may need some breaks from the group as well.
enjoy being outdoors
do well with multiple transitions each day and some level of unpredictability.

Campers who would not be successful include those who:

would benefit from a therapeutic camp rather than an inclusion model.
are not able to or do not want to be in large groups much of the day.
do not enjoy being outdoors.
cannot follow our Behavior Expectations including those who self-injure, have aggressive behaviors with adults or peers, who run away in an unsafe way, or whose impulse control challenges prevent them from being safe in a community center setting.

SERVICES, ACCOMMODATIONS, AND COMMUNICATION

Campers can apply for our traditional camp units. There are no separate bunks for campers in the inclusion program.
Campers in Olim & Chaverim will stay on campus throughout the week and a special guest/event will be brought in-house. Campers in Giborim will travel weekly on Thursdays to area field trip locations.
Click to view a sample schedule for: Olim, Chaverim, Giborim.
All counselors are trained on our inclusion philosophy and on making each bunk inclusive. Inclusion staff float among bunks to provide support to campers when and where they are needed –each inclusion staff person serves multiple campers/bunks.
We plan our programming with the campers in the inclusion program in mind. Many of these adjustments benefit ALL our campers, such as balancing competitive activities with cooperative ones, providing options, and giving simple and clear directions.

We plan support on a case-by-case basis. Examples of supports for campers have included:

Visual and sensory aids (picture schedules, timers, fidgets, noise-canceling headphones)
Information ahead of time – schedules, touring the building, meeting staff, social stories for drop off, etc.
Behavior management plans and reward charts
A quiet space where campers can choose to go to for brief breaks and scheduled breaks in the day away from the group
Staff support with instructions, rules, etc.
Help with transitions, transitioning before the group
Arranging time and space for outside OT/PT/speech providers to work with campers during the day

We strive to have campers with disabilities participate as fully as possible with typically developing peers. Staff give support where needed and then allow campers to continue to participate as independently as they are able.

What we are not able to offer at this time:

One-on-one staffing
Small-group options (camp groups are typically 16 – 20 campers with 2 counselors)
Therapeutic interventions
Integration of camper’s personal aides &/or nurses during the program day

Communication:

You will be invited to an Inclusion Open House before the start of camp where you can meet Inclusion staff and tour the campus.
If your child has an IEP, 504 plan, Functional Behavior Assessment and/or a Behavioral Intervention Plan, we will request copies. We can also speak with teachers, OT/PT/Speech therapists, or other people who work with your child if you think it would help us better serve your camper or there are things you are working on in school/therapies you’d like for us to reinforce at camp.
Staff can also meet with you during the program to make adjustments to support strategies.
Communication plans are also on a case-by-case basis. Some families prefer email, some prefer the phone, some prefer to touch base at pick up – we try to do what is best for each family, within the staff’s capacity.
Please remember that in general, no news is good news!

INCLUSION STAFF TEAM

Our inclusion leadership staff are specifically hired to work with children with disabilities. They have backgrounds in special education, or a related field, and/or other life experiences that provide them with the necessary skill set. Inclusion Counselors are typically mature college students with an interest and experience with inclusion. Additional training is provided and required for all inclusion staff.
All counselors, not just inclusion staff, receive training in inclusion.
All our staff must participate in an application, interview, and background check process, and receive training in working with campers, planning accommodations, and sexual abuse prevention.
You can contact camp@siegeljcc.org year-round. Becky Stahl, our Camp Wellness Director, will be happy to answer your questions and provide guidance if you need it. During the off-season, one of our year-round leadership team members can help you, and during the summer, you will reach our seasonal Inclusion Coordinators.

WHAT IF MY CHILD HAS BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AT CAMP?

We will work with each camper and family to be as proactive as possible through support strategies, program accommodations, positive behavior management strategies, and redirection. Behavior challenges will be documented and shared with the family. If your child exhibits aggressive behavior that is harmful to staff, other campers, or themselves, your child may need to be picked up immediately, asked to stay home until a new plan can be put in place, or asked to leave the program. We will work with a child as much as possible to ensure a successful experience.
If you or the camp staff feel that Camp JCC cannot adequately support your child or your child is not able to participate safely, we will meet with you to discuss the situation, and we will refund your tuition prorated for any days attended.
Campers in the inclusion program are subject to the same Behavior Expectations as all campers at Camp JCC.
Please note, if you are relying on camp for childcare, and you have concerns that your child may not be able to meet our Behavior Expectations, we recommend you consider having a backup plan in place.

Becky Stahl, Camp Wellness Director

Need help? Contact me at camp@siegeljcc.org or 302-478-5660.

Camp JCC Delaware is accredited by the American Camp Association.