Just like with any camp, it’s important that you, your camper, and the camp all feel that the potential to be a good match. A camp for teenage boys will not accept a 10 year old girl. A camp designed to provide accessible camp for children with physical special needs may not accept a child who does not need their services. While we serve a very diverse group of youth, Starfish, too, has guidelines for our camper population. That being said, we work individually with each applicant, so if you have any questions about whether Starfish is a good fit for your camper, please definitely get in touch with us! In general, successful camper applicants are: Self-feeding at an age-appropriate level (staff help with portion control, table manners, etc.) Capable of toileting and cleaning themselves after doing so (staff will verbally prompt but not hand-over-hand help) Free of restrictive medical conditions like feeding tubes, colostomy bags, IV medications (our health center nurses are great, but care is basic, with no doctor on site) Age-appropriate with daily living skills (with verbal prompting). Examples include independently putting on a bathing suit, remaining clothed in company of others, following the steps of taking a shower with only verbal prompts from staff Willing to attend – or commit to trying – camp (we will not “force” campers to attend, but we will encourage them) Flexible to exploring group living (living in a cabin with others, verbally communicating during activities and bunk meetings, participating in give-and-take conversations with prompting; help with bunk/village “cleanup” chores) Physically able to traverse camp, including hills, stairs, bunk beds, traveling between activities Typically, youth are not appropriate for attendance at Starfish are those who: Are currently in the juvenile justice system (Starfish is not a “boot camp” or “behavior modification program”) Exhibit a frequent pattern of violent acts or routinely aggressive behavior set fires or those who have been firesetters and have not completed a remediation program Are within 4-6 weeks prior to attendance, residing in CBAT, hospitalization, inpatient therapeutic programming, residential school, or any level of care which utilizes daily clinical/therapeutic supervision Require routine, hands-on toileting assistance (bedwetting is fine) Routinely and actively self-injure (opportunistic cutting, bleeding) as a means of emotional coping Have active disordered eating which includes severely restricted intake (this is not “picky eaters,” of which we have plenty), binging/purging, or requiring locked storage of food Intentionally harm animals Self-stimulate or self-soothe in public (inappropriate self touching) Youth with opportunistic sexualized behaviors (predatory interactions with others) Our camp was built in the 1940s, and we acquired it in 2008. Since then we have made many upgrades to the accessibility, but it is a long-term work-in-progress. So, while we welcome applications of all abilities, if a camper has mobility restrictions, we highly recommend that you please call and speak with us prior to submitting an application.