Our camp counselors have diverse backgrounds which allows them to bring their own special talent to camp and share it with the campers.  Many of them have worked with children in the past and are looking to gain more experience with children.  Our staff are 18 years of age or older.  

Our camp counselors participate in several training sessions, which includes field trip safety, safety procedures (CPR/First Aid), learning age appropriate games and activities that will impact children in a positive way, and behavior management to name a few.

Our camp staff are selected based on their experience, education, character, talents, and interpersonal skills.  Many of our staff are returning from last year and some are employed in other YMCA areas during the school year.  We also welcome several new camp counselors this summer.  Above all our staff have one thing in common—a love for working with children. 

Our Summer Day Camp program is a part-time and full-time program. Parents can enroll their child in our program based on a 3 day attendance or 5 day attendance schedule.

If your child will be attending camp 1-3 days a week, you will enroll your child in the 3 Day Contract and will be responsible for paying the weekly fee for that contract no matter how many days your child attends camp.

If your child will be attending camp 4-5 days a week, you will enroll your child in the 5 Day Contract and will be responsible for paying the weekly fee for that contract no matter how many days your child attends camp.

You will need to contact Christine Kleaving, Director of Youth Development, at christine@tricountyymca.org to let her know about the need for extra care for the extra day(s).  You will be charged the difference of the fees for the extra day(s).

Yes, it would be helpful for our staff to know which days your child will be at camp so we can plan the activity supplies accordingly. If days need to change, contact Christine Kleaving, Director of Youth Development, at christine@tricountyymca.org to request a change.

When registering a child, you are registering the child for the summer and will be responsible for paying the weekly fees each week. If summer plans change and you need to remove your child from the program for the rest of the summer, you will need to contact Christine Kleaving, Director of Youth Development, at christine@tricountyymca.org to request a cancellation form.

When registering your child through the online link, you will be asked to submit a credit card, checking, or savings account and it will remain on file. The form of payment will be charged on Saturdays and will be for the week of Summer Camp that was just finished. Refunds will not be provided for childcare services already provided.

If you are not sure if you will qualify for the reduced or free lunch at school, you are welcome to fill out the YMCA Scholarship Form and return it to us.  After we evaluate it, we will contact you with your camp fees for the summer.

No.  Children can be dropped off on your way to work. We ask that all campers be at camp by 9:00 a.m. to be able to fully participate in the activities.  Campers are welcome to leave at any point during the day. All campers need to be picked up by 6:00 p.m. 

Ferdinand: Campers should bring a lunch, snack, and a drink that does not require refrigeration each day.  The items can be brought in a cooler with ice packs, lunch bags, or in paper bags.  We do not have the capabilities to heat/warm up lunches so please pack lunches that do not require to be hot.  Parents are welcome to send along a morning snack with their child.  We will offer an optional morning snack time for campers who arrive early or who did not eat breakfast at home.  We will also have snack time in the afternoon.  The kids will be active during the day so please plan lunch and snacks accordingly.  Please label the cooler or bag with the child’s name.

Jasper: Campers will utilize the Summer Food Service Program over the summer and will not need to send a lunch.  Parents are welcome to send along a morning snack with their child.  We will offer an optional morning snack time for campers who arrive early or who did not eat breakfast at home.  We will also have snack time in the afternoon.  The kids will be active during the day so please plan snacks accordingly. Parents are responsible for sending a morning/afternoon snack with their child daily. Snacks will not be provided at camp.  

Tell City: Campers will be utilizing the Summer Food Service Program at William Tell Elementary over the summer and will not need to bring a lunch.  If campers arrive before 8:00, they will be able to eat breakfast at school as well in the morning.  We will have snack time in the afternoon and parents will need to send a snack with their child.  The kids will be active during the day so please plan snacks accordingly.  Parents are responsible for sending an afternoon snack with their child daily.  Snacks will not be provided by the school or by the Tri-County YMCA. 

If your child has a need for medication to be administered by a staff member during the camp day, you will need to give us the original container in which the medication was received, child’s name, times to administer, and type of medication.  Please only send enough medication for one day.  Parents will sign the medication sheet at the beginning of the summer and staff will initial when it is administered throughout the summer.

A sick child is to be kept at home for his or her own sake and that of the other children and staff.  Any child that demonstrates the signs of fever (100.4^o or greater) or illness will be separated from the rest of the campers and a phone call will be made to a parent. Parents are asked to make arrangements to have the sick child picked up as soon as possible. Please do not send your child back to camp until the symptoms of fever and/or contagious illness have been gone for 24 hours without the aid of medication.

Our staff plan the field trips each summer.  The field trip location and details will be listed on the weekly activity schedule for parents.  Some of our past field trips include swimming, Lincoln State Park Nature Center, Lincoln Boyhood Memorial, Dubois County Museum, Bowling, Skating, Parks/Playgrounds, Tri-County YMCA, Sisters of St. Benedict, St. Meinrad Archabbey, Patoka Lake Nature Center, and local fire stations/police stations.  All normal field trip expenses are covered in the cost of camp.

On swimming field trips, we have the kids stay in the shallow end of the pool.  If a camper is 8 and older and would like to go in the deep end or off the diving board, the camper must take and pass our swim test.  The test consists of being able to swim the width of the pool both ways without any difficulty.  If the camper passes this test, then he/she is allowed to go in the deep end.  Our staff are in the water with the kids and spread out in the pool to be able to assist all of the campers.  With our young campers, we have them wear a Kiefer swim belt (provided by the YMCA) to assist them in the water.  Parents are welcome to send along a life vest for their child(ren) if they wish.