Westport, CT, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via NGO Wire) With families looking forward to a more normal summer this year, a special sleepaway camp is re-opening for an unforgettable week of in-person experiences — but only grieving children can apply. With the pandemic causing a spike in demand for grief support, Experience Camps, a national nonprofit that serves bereaved children and builds awareness of childhood grief as a public health issue, has announced it will re-open its network of no-cost camps with strict protocols to promote a COVID-safe summer.
The camp, which supports children who have lost a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver, is re-opening to a waiting list that has grown 100% since April 2020. Approximately 43,000 American children have experienced the death of a parent due to COVID-19, according to JAMA, and experts report that the pandemic has increased the number of deaths from other causes, from opioid misuse to diabetes. These trends are reflected in Experience Camps’ enrollment numbers.
“Some of our kids come from communities where homicide and overdose are a daily occurrence, and some have never known another bereaved child. Yet here, every child has something in common: they are all grieving the death of someone important to them,” said Sara Deren, CEO of Experience Camps. “Camp provides unique ways for children to connect through play and work through complex emotions together. We surveyed our families, and 93% said their kids need the continuity and community our program offers, but they also want to ensure their children are protected from COVID-19.”
Experience Camps’ safety protocols include requiring all vaccinated individuals to have both doses of the vaccine at least two weeks prior to arrival at camp, and for unvaccinated individuals to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within four days of their arrival, in addition to a rapid test on arrival day. They are expecting 98% of their volunteers and staff to be fully vaccinated. Everyone at camp will be expected to adhere to protocols that include masks and social distancing. Campers who bunk together will become “family units” and will eat and engage in activities together without needing to socially distance. These family units will play and connect with others outside their unit only when outdoors, at a distance of six feet, and with a mask on.
“It’s hard to deal with grief under the best of circumstances, but it has been even harder with social isolation. The children we serve are profoundly aware that their ‘bubble’ is smaller, and the person who died isn’t there,” said Brie Overton, Chief Clinical Officer at Experience Camps. “At the same time, 83% of our parents surveyed have seen their child using coping skills learned from their grief experience to help deal with the pandemic. Now, they are eager to come together with other kids, since re-opening camp is a way for them to re-open their lives.”
Children who have had a parent that died are at a greater risk of trauma, depression, poor educational outcomes, premature death, or suicide. Childhood bereavement is a critical public health issue with potential consequences that last into adulthood. Approximately 5.2 million American children are grieving the death of a sibling or parent, which can involve significant economic consequences. More than 65% of Experience Camps families have income below the national median, and the nonprofit offers its programs at no cost to all participants and provides trained clinicians in every bunk.
“While negative outcomes can stem from grief, so can post-traumatic growth,” Deren said. “We want the children to know they have a community here for as long as they need it. We want them to see that grief and joy can go hand in hand and to know that childhood carries on.”
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About Experience Camps
Experience Camps is a national nonprofit striving to galvanize a movement around childhood grief as an urgent public health issue. It provides no-fee, clinically informed camp and other programs for kids who have lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver, and resources and advocacy to benefit many more. Since 2009, Experience Camps has empowered thousands of children with the confidence, skills and support to move forward with their lives, and it now aims to double the number of children it serves so that all grieving children can experience a life rich with possibility. https://experiencecamps.org
Contact:
Haleigh Atwood
902.635.4080
hatwood@purposecollaborative.com