American Camp Association

What does it mean to be ACA accredited?
The American Camp Association is the only independent accrediting organization reviewing camp operations in the country. Its nationally-recognized standards program focuses primarily on the program quality, health and safety aspects of a camp’s operation. ACA collaborates with experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth-serving agencies to assure that current practices at the camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. For more parent-focused information about accreditation, visit ACA’s www.CampParents.org.

“ACA Accreditation means that Talisman Programs submitted to a thorough (up to 300 standards) review of its operation by the American Camp Association (ACA) — from staff qualifications and training to emergency management — and complied with the highest standards in the industry.” –  Cindy Moore, National Standards Commission.

The American Camp Association’s Healthy Camp Study examined injury rates in a large number of summer camps located throughout the United States and Canada. The researchers reported that the risk of serious injury at overnight summer camps is low compared to other popular youth activities.

“The good news for parents is that our data show that serious injuries are uncommon at resident summer camps,” Dawn Comstock, associate professor at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, said in an article on the ScienceDaily website. “The reported injury rate among campers was comparable to those in similar youth activities like sports or playing on playgrounds.”

Very few serious injuries occurred at summer camp during the study period. The researchers found that less than 3 percent of camp injuries required hospital admission. Almost all campers who sustained an injury either remained at camp for treatment or returned to camp after receiving treatment offsite.