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“A parent’s first job needs to be making sure that the standards that are being set at the provincial and federal level are not only being followed, but ideally even exceeded a little bit.”

A good starting point, Lewis said, is to look for accreditation from the provincial camps association where the camp in located. They are set up to make sure camps are meeting — and even exceeding — the standards set by each province.

“If a camp has that accreditation, it is a good sign that they know what they are doing, that they have their priorities in the right place and the parent’s child will be well looked after,” he said.

In this province, the Ontario Camps Association (OCA) is a voluntary organization which offers membership, professional development and accreditation to camps. Joy Levy is the executive director of the more than 90-year-old association.

“The backbone of the OCA are our standards, they are either federal or provincially regulated standards,” she said, adding that the association visits its member camps on a four-year basis to accredit them. “What our accredited logo means is that these member camps are adhering to the over 600 health and safety regulations that come through the OCA.

“It means to the parents that there is a reassurance the camp is taking all measures to provide, whether it is for the camper or the staff, the highest standards of health and safety,” Levy said. “Parents are saying ‘here, take our child off to your program,’ so we want to make sure that it is going to be fun and rewarding, but at the same time full of those safety components.

But, Levy said, with upwards of 10,000 camps — from day to overnight, in cities and in the countryside — operating in Ontario each summer, not all will be OCA members. If they are not, she said parents should ask them to share their health and safety procedures and what policies they have in place. If they are resistant to share that information, or there is poor communication, parents should consider that to be a red flag.

Lewis said that broadly speaking, the Canada Safety Council recommends staff at a summer camp should be trained and certified in safety practices, such as CPR and first aid. As a person’s duties at a camp get more specific, their training should as well, he said.

“Of course, if there is any involvement whatsoever with water activities — boating, swimming — it’s a good idea to also make sure their supervision policies are robust and that the instructors are trained in CPR and ideally that the lifeguards are certified with the national lifeguard service.”

Emergency water equipment should also be in place — such as oxygen and lifejackets — and available. And that water sport related equipment is up to date and not in need of repairs.

He said the Canadian Camping Association determined that the ideal counsellor to camper ratio is one-to-eight. Lewis said you want to stay close to that because if there are more campers compared to counsellors, it can lead to less supervision and the lesser likelihood of spotting a situation.

“On the flip side, overkill can take away some of the autonomy that goes hand-in-hand with going to summer camp. So, you want to make sure the camp is hitting that ratio, and if not exactly, very, very close.”

Lewis said parents should also check on what medical attention, like a nurse’s office, is available at camp, especially those that offer high-risk activities. And, if you do decide to enrol your child at that camp, ensure it is informed of any health issues your child might have, such as allergies or a history of injuries.

You can also ask camps what processes are in place to vet staff, such as a Vulnerable Sector Check (also known as a Level 3 check) which is intended for individuals seeking employment or volunteer opportunities with vulnerable persons. And, at sleepaway camps, how many staff are on duty overnight at any given time to look after the children.

If possible, Lewis also recommends parents visit the camp before deciding whether to send their child there to help take away any uncertainty. He said in recent years it’s become more common for camps to allow parents to visit ahead of time.

“They can get a better sense of the general atmosphere around the camp — if people are having fun, if it’s a little less enthusiastic — and get a better visual reference of the quality of the facilities and equipment, if its well kept or falling into disrepair.”

At camps where visiting is not an option, Lewis recommends you look for images or videos that are on its website or read reviews of the camps. While online reviews can be a double-edged sword for accuracy, it can give you a sense of whether people were satisfied or dissatisfied by looking at what comments come up the most often, he said.

In some ways, it’s like choosing a resort for a family vacation, Lewis said.

“It’s a pretty good analogy and in a lot of ways it comes down to the same things, especially if it’s a sleepaway camp. You are talking about a place where your child will be resting their head, where your child will be fed, where they will be engaged in activities,” he said.

“It all comes down to the same core elements of booking a resort where you want to make sure you are just not booking a place for the sake of booking a place. But you are booking a place with safety and high standards in mind.”