Accreditation Updates
We have made it to the other side of the looking glass, and we are happily looking towards a safe and positive 2021 summer. ACA and the Accreditation Program were built on the foundations of safety, and we are looking forward to continuing to support our camps with up-to-date information and resources. ACA Accreditation is the best evidence the public has that your camp is operating as safely as possible, and in 2021, it may be more important than ever. Below are some updates that all Primary Contacts should have received information about.
Accreditation Visits in 2021
For the summer of 2020, the American Camp Association made the difficult decision to defer all visits one summer. That applied to every single Accredited camp in our association. So, those who would have been receiving a visit in 2020, will now be visited in summer 2021. In order to make sure that your camp is appropriately prepared, we have a few reminders:
There is an updated version of the Accreditation Process Guide. If your copy does not have the v.2019 on it, then please reach out to Kyle Medeiros (kyle@acanynj.org).
If you had not yet taken an Accreditation Process Workshop, you can register for one here.
Please make sure that your fees are current and reference our Chart of Standards and Planning Tool to help you begin to prepare.
Bridging to v.2019
All camps who have a visit year of 2022, 2023, or 2024 will be required to “bridge” to the new v.2019 Accreditation Process Guide by February 1, 2022. This process is to ensure that all camps are following the same set of Standards. This process will be unique to each camp, but we do have a few resources to help the transition:
Make sure you have a copy of the v.2019 APG. If you haven’t already requested one, you can do that here.
The Chart of Standards and Planning Tool will help you identify how the documents you currently have can be reorganized to be in compliance with the v.2019 APG.
We have a closer look video available with helpful information.
Take a look at our Bridging page for all available resources and guidance.
On your next Statement of Compliance, you will indicate which version of Standards your camp is following. Once you’ve moved over to 2019, that will be noted.
Bridging does not change your next visit year**
As always, our goal is to continue to support you and your camps Accreditation needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or need of support. Thank you for continuing to strengthen our Association and the camp community.