Westchester County Department of Health

Thousands of children attend the county's over 250 children's summer camps each year. To help ensure a safe and healthy camping experience, Health Department staff inspect all county camps at least twice annually.

Camp Operator's Workshop 
On behalf of Dr. Amler, our Westchester County Camp Advisory Committee, we regret to inform you that due to the ever evolving COVID-19 outbreak the 2020 Children’s Camp Workshop, scheduled for April 1st, has been cancelled. Your permit applications will be mailed out and all additional required paperwork will be posted on-line. Additionally, we will also work to provide our 2020 Power Point presentation on-line. We will notify you when we have posted any and all information on our website. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Children's Camp Operator's Workshop Powerpoint Presentation

• Summer Camp Permit Application Presentation 2020 (23 slides)
• Lifeguard Surveillance and Implementation of the Buddy System at the Waterfront (33 slides)

Summer Camp Application Packets 2020

• New Summer Camp Application Packet
• Renewal Summer Camp Application Packet 
• Self-Inspection and Certification Form for Children's Camps

Fact Sheets for Staff Certifications 2020

• Fact Sheets for Camps, Pools and Bathing Beaches (pdf)  

Workshop Resources

• New York State Sex Offender Registry Search Procedures for Children's Camp 

Forms

• Reportable Diseases at Camp
• Injury Report Form (DOH-61a) -- fax/phone numbers
• Illness Outbreak Report Form (DOH-61b) -- fax/phone numbers
• Fecal Incident Water Contamination Response Log
  

Safety Plan

• Safety Plan Template for Camps (fillable) (NYSDOH)

Camp Sanitary Code

• New York State Sanitary Code for Children's Camps: Public Health Law 225 
• Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Setting

Free Handwashing Posters

• For Children and the General Public (CDC)

Measles
Important information about Measles for the camp season:
NYSDOH Webinar: How to prevent the spread of measles in children's camps (Youtube)
NYS Measles Cover Memo 4-18-19
NYS Vaccine Preventable Diseases Measles Letter 4-18-19
NYS Flyer: Prevent the Spread of Measles at Summer Camp 2019

Vaccinations and Communicable Diseases
It is recommended that all individuals who will be working in or attending summer camp are vaccinated. See below for details.

• Procedures for Handling Vaccine-Preventable Diseases at Camp
• GI related outbreaks and procedures for handling
• Meningococcal Disease:
  • NYS Public Health Law 2167 (signed bill) - for overnight camps
  • Meningococcal disease fact sheet
  • Template - Camp Overnight Children's Camp Parent Letter
    

Rabies Guidelines for Camps

• General Information
• Fact Sheet for Bat Habitat Inspection and Bat Proofing in Children's Camps
• General Guidelines for Management of Bat-Related Incidents at Children's Camps
• Bat Capture Kit for Children's Camps

Tickborne Diseases

• What you need to know about Ticks and Tickborne Diseases (CDC)
• Ticks and Lyme Disease (NYSDOH)

MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus)

• Health Avisory: Prevention and Control of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the camp setting
  

Camp Rescources:

• WJCS Autism Center's Camp Guide 
  In the WJCS Autism Camp Guide you will find: Internet Resources for Special Needs Camps, Camp Referral Services, Camp Fairs, Day Camps and Sleep Away Camps