Safety at One Hope Canada
Each One Hope Canada camp is required to follow the provincial safety requirements of their province, which can include Child Abuse checks, Vulnerable Sector searches, and Police checks. We also request character references from our missionaries and may initiate a phone call with their references in addition to their reference letter. Recognizing the extreme trust parents place in us when they send their child to a One Hope Canada camp, we have developed our own In Safe Hands policy and training course, equipping and informing our missionaries about our serious commitment to safety. In Safe Hands includes training and expectations on issues and situations such as child abuse, accountability, behavior standards, and respect. Prior to serving at camp, our missionaries are required to either take part in an on-site In Safe Hands training or to complete an online In Safe Hands course and exam.
We’ve filled our camp schedules with special activities, events, and cabin times that were created with your child in mind. Some of the activities our camps offer include hiking, boating, horsemanship, archery, swimming and lakefront activities, sports, life skills, fishing, canoe trips, zip-lining, mountain biking, drama classes, journalism, photography, paintball… the list goes on! Because your child’s safety is our priority, we make sure that our missionaries – from lifeguards to wall-climbing instructors – are specifically trained in their area of oversight, certified if necessary, and know how to conduct a skill class safely.
Each of our camps has a medical officer onsite – either a nurse or another qualified individual – who is able to administer medication, provide emergency first aid, and provide medical insight into situations that may arise, along with knowing when and how to access further medical care. While we are committed to having excellent medical care at camp, we also believe that prevention is one of the best lines of defense against accidents, and want to do all in our power to eliminate the need for medical attention.
Each of our camps has an emergency procedure in place that is discussed at missionary training and ensures an appropriate and rapid response to the situation. Feel free to discuss the question of emergencies with the camp director on registration day or even over a phone call before you bring your child to camp.
We’re proud of our missionaries’ dedication to making camp a place of safety and care for our campers. Our missionaries do a fabulous job of making camp a ‘home away from home’ for campers each week, and make a point to invest in the lives of every camper they interact with throughout the summer. We encourage our missionaries to continue the mentoring friendships they develop with campers throughout the year, but we ask that they honor you as a parent by first requesting permission to remain in contact with your child after camp is over. If your child attends a One Hope Canada camp, you may be asked for permission regarding having your child’s camp leaders contact him or her through phone, mail, email, social media, or a personal visit. We recognize that you may strongly value the idea of having an older mentor in the life of your child, but may have some questions about what that would look like. We encourage that you keep a very open dialogue between yourself and your child’s cabin leader as you both seek to invest in your child and continue to create safe places for them to thrive.
