Program

Program. (1) Program planning and implementation. (a) Each day camp shall have a written program of activities that shall be planned according to the developmental level of each child and each group of children and intended to expose children to a variety of cultures. The needs of children with disabilities shall be considered when planning the programming and activities for enrolled children. The program of activities shall focus on the outdoors and the natural environment and shall reflect the camp’s written policies. The program shall provide each child with experiences that will promote all of the following: 1. An appreciation and understanding of the natural environment. 2. Large and small muscle development. 3. Intellectual growth. 4. Self-esteem and positive self-image. 5. Opportunities for recreation. 6. Social interaction. 7. Creative expression. 8. Self-expression and communication skills. 9. Literacy skills. (b) The program shall: 1. Protect the children from excessive fatigue and from overstimulation. 2. Encourage spontaneous activities. 3. Be planned to provide a flexible balance each day of: a. Active and quiet activities. b. Individual and group activities. 4. Provide daily opportunities for children to play outdoors except during inclement weather or when not advisable for health reasons. 5. Provide reasonable regularity in eating, resting and other routines. 6. Provide daily periods when a variety of experiences are concurrently available for the children to select their own activities. 7. Limit the amount of time that children are kept waiting in lines or assembled in large groups during routines such as toileting and eating and intervals between activities. (2) Child guidance. (a) Each day camp shall have a written policy on guiding children’s behavior which provides for positive guidance, redirection and the setting of clear-cut limits. The policy shall be designed to help each child develop self-control, self-esteem, and respect for the rights of others. (b) 1. In this paragraph, “time-out period” means a break from the large group that a counselor offers a child to provide the child an opportunity to calm and regain composure while being supported by the counselor. 2. A camp may use a time-out period to handle a child’s unacceptable behavior only if all of the following conditions are met: a. The counselor offers the child the time-out period in a non-humiliating manner. b. The time-out period does not exceed 3 minutes. c. The child is not isolated. d. The child is not removed from the group location. 3. The procedures for a time-out period shall be included in the camp guidance policy under par. (a) . (c) Actions that may be psychologically, emotionally or physically painful, discomforting, dangerous or potentially injurious are prohibited. Examples of prohibited actions include: 1. Spanking, hitting, pinching, shaking, slapping, twisting, throwing or inflicting any other form of corporal punishment. 2. Verbal abuse, threats or derogatory remarks about the child or the child’s family. 3. Physical restraint, binding or tying to restrict movement or enclosing in a confined space such as a closet, locked room, box or similar cubicle. 4. Withholding or forcing meals, snacks or naps. 5. Actions that are aversive, cruel, frightening or humiliating. (d) Children shall not be punished for lapses in toilet training. (3) Equipment and furnishings. (a) The camp shall provide program equipment and furnishings in a variety and quantity that allows staff to implement activities outlined in the written policy on program objectives and activities required under s. DCF 252.41 (1) (f) 5. and meets all of the following criteria: 1. Provides for large muscle development. 2. Provides construction activities and for the development of manipulative skills. 3. Encourages social interaction. 4. Provides intellectual stimulation. 5. Encourages creative expression. (b) All equipment and furnishings, whether or not owned by the camp, shall be: 1. Scaled to the developmental level, size and ability of the children. 2. Safe, durable, of sturdy construction with no sharp, rough, loose, protruding, pinching or pointed edges, or areas of entrapment, in good operating condition, and anchored when necessary. 3. Placed to avoid danger of accident and collision and to permit freedom of action. 4. Used in accordance with all manufacturer’s instructions and any manufacturer’s recommendations that may affect the safety of children in care. (c) Equipment and materials which reflect an awareness of cultural and ethnic diversity shall be provided. (d) No trampolines or inflatable bounce surfaces on the premises may be accessible to children or used by children in care. (4) Rest. When a session is more than 4 hours in length, there shall be a rest period or period of quiet activities of at least 30 minutes for all children under 5 years of age. (5) Meals, snacks, and food service. (a) Food shall be provided in accordance with Table DCF 252.44 which is based on the amount of time children are present. Food may be served at flexible intervals, but no child may go without nourishment for longer than 3 hours. (b) Camp-provided transportation time shall be included in determining the total number of hours a child is present for the purpose of par. (a) . (c) Food allergies of specific children shall be reported to cooks, counselors and substitutes having direct contact with children.