You will sign an electronic signature at the time of registration agreeing to abide by these policies.
The 2nd topic, info about our program and daily schedule in regards to Special Needs and Behavioral Policy, is an important one to review.
REFUND POLICY-TRANSFER or CANCEL and HOW TO REQUEST: Note that transfer fees are lower than cancel fees. With transfer option, families can use for specific upcoming camp or save credit for future camp that is not yet open.
School Break Camps Refund Policy (Thanksgiving, Winter, February, Spring) or Special Events During the Year:
-Transfer at least 6 weeks before camp session start: transfer credit to any future camp after a $75/session transfer fee (although for longer two week Winter session, fee is $100 and for shorter partial day or full day event, $20)
-Transfer less than 6 weeks before camp session start: If we can fill the space, we will do the same transfer as if requested 6 weeks before-policy in bullet above.
-Cancel at least 6 weeks before camp session start: refund after 20% cancellation fee
-Cancel less than 6 weeks before camp session start: refund after 20% cancellation fee ONLY if we can fill the space
Summer Camps Refund Policy:
-Transfer by end of day May 8th: transfer credit to any future camp after a $75/one week or shorter session or $100/multiple week session transfer fee
-Transfer after May 8th: If we can fill the space, we will do the same transfer as if requested 6 weeks before-policy in bullet above.
-Cancel by end of day May 8th: refund after 20% cancellation fee
-Cancel after May 8th: refund after 20% cancellation fee ONLY if we can fill the space
Other Important Details:
-Request a cancellation by emailing office@monkeybusinesscamp.com after reading over the transfer or cancellation options and specifying which you prefer. If it is after the deadline when policies require a replacement camper in order to be able to receive a transfer or refund, the office will stay in touch to let you know if/when the space has filled, which sometimes happens the same day and sometimes takes a few weeks.
-For absences of three days or longer due to illness, with a doctor’s note submitted within two weeks, 75% of fees will be transferred to a future camp. No refunds possible. As an alternative, we may offer make-up days if there is room later in the season. The sooner you contact us to let us know your child will be out, the easier it is on us to be able to find a replacement for some of the time, thank you. E-mail the doctor’s note to office@monkeybusinesscamp.com within 2 weeks.
-No refunds once camp has begun.
-Fees for cancellation and transfers are based on full price of camp (minus any financial aid) and are not pro-rated for those with ongoing installment plans.
-Cancellations and transfers are for the full session of camp only, not partial days or weeks.
-Deposits made for advance registration access (when offered) are non-refundable and can only be transferred.
-Pandemic specific details: If we cannot complete a camp for pandemic reasons, there will be no refund for unused camp days, but we will offer some virtual programming. If camp needs to close for any other reason for more than this, including before camp starts, we will transfer 90% of fees toward future program OR, by request, refund 65% of fees. If camp has started, the transfer credit or refund will only apply for unused days due to closure.
-For dismissals due to behavioral issues, if we can fill the space with another camper, we will provide a 75% refund for unused full days.
-Cancellations by our office get triggered a month before camp, and if we have not received replies from you about payment issues. In those cases, the regular policy regarding refunds applies.
-If we need to cancel a program due to low enrollment, you will receive option to transfer to another program or get full refund.
-In the case of a natural disaster, poor air quality, rain, fire, or other occurrence that affects ability to hold camp at the specific locations noted in communications, we will either work to find alternate locations or offer some virtual programming, depending on the circumstance, and not offer any refunds or transfers. Air Quality-when readings above 100, we will stay inside when possible; above 200, we will close or go online.
MORE INFO ABOUT OUR PROGRAM & SPECIAL NEEDS; BEHAVIORAL POLICY & PROCEDURES AROUND DISMISSALS:
Monkey Business Camp is a classic mostly outdoor day camp with a focus on Fun and Respect. We work hard to make a great environment for all our campers, youth leaders, and staff. Over the past 25+ years we have welcomed many campers with special needs and been nourished by the presence of all kinds of people. We’ve seen kids with anxiety get more comfortable, and those with impulse control learn to breathe and take a moment before acting. We have learned a lot about what works and what does not.
In some cases, campers with special needs have worked well within our program from the start. In other cases, staff have communicated with a child and their family, to come up with plans that help to make camp work better, and, after some adjustments, it has worked overall. Sometimes the plans haven’t worked to make camp a good fit for a camper and, unless the option of the family hiring a personal aide to support the camper was possible, the camper could no longer attend camp.
It helps to understand more about our program to confirm if it seems like a good fit for your child. In terms of attention, we have 1 staff for every 9 campers. Each group has about 25 people total. We sometimes combine groups for larger group activities like games, singing, carnivals, skits, etc, in terms of levels of stimulation, with all groups just once every session, and with one other group at least once a day. Our camp day includes times when campers can make choices about their activities, including things like drawing, building, exploring nature, playing a field or board game, climbing, and making art. Camp also includes group activities like circle, meals, walks, and listening to stories, when it is necessary to be a part, a camper cannot just choose to do something else at that time. These times with less choice, usually about 20 minutes long, require some focus, patience, and kindness towards others in the group. We also have about ten transitions each day, including shifting from free choice to more focused activities and vice versa, for washing hands, to lunch, etc. Campers need to move mostly easily with this flow. Camp is 100% of the time outside in summer, and 80% during school breaks.
Sometimes a child may need a program other than ours, with either more structure or less structure, smaller groups, more indoor time, specific activities, or more staff to be comfortable, and to be considerate or safe toward others.
At time of registration or as soon as you are aware, or if there are updates, we require full disclosure of any challenges and helpful tools for supporting your child. If your child has accommodations in school, we ask you to provide the same for your child at camp. If your child is on medication, they will also need to be so at camp, although staff cannot dispense regular medications, so families work out schedules outside of camp hours.
If it turns out that you thought camp would work and you signed up, but your child has needs we cannot meet at camp within our ratios and is requiring more attention to keep camp safe for everyone, we will discuss changes with you to make it work better. You may be asked to hire an aide to support at camp, perhaps for the full day or partial day, shorten the length of the camp day, take some days off from camp, or not come to camp.
For dismissals due to behavioral issues, if we can fill the space with another camper, we will provide a 75% refund for unused full days.
It can be hard to adjust your schedule if our camp doesn’t work well for your child, so please think things through ahead of time, conferring with a therapist, teacher, your child’s doctor, or other trusted professional. If you confirm you think our camp will be a good fit, consider having a back-up plan to help support your child and family in the case it does not.
CONFIDENTIALITY: Unless given permission from the Monkey Business Camp office, sharing or use of camp documents, or information posted on camp website is not allowed, it is copyrighted information. Monkey Business Camp does not want intellectual property shared without thought and care.
COMMUNICATIONS: E-mail is one means that we communicate with you. Please check your provider’s spam protection to ensure that office@monkeybusinesscamp.com is a safe address. For gmail accounts (and other providers), adding our e-mail address in “contacts” will do the trick.
CONFIRMATION PROCESS, TAX I.D INFO & RECEIPTS:
You will receive an automatic confirmation e-mail upon completion of your registration. Please make sure your confirmation matches with your records and that you have signed up for the correct camp(s), as we cannot refund for errors in planning. If you do not receive a confirmation, please log into your account to review details and ensure that your registration is complete. Please contact our office if you need help. You can log in to your account at any time to view enrollment dates, charges, and payments and print receipts for taxes or reimbursement. Go to “account summary” which lists name of our business, tax i.d info, camp dates, hours, and payments.
FEES AND PAYMENT INFO:
1) How to Guarantee Space: register and pay in full or via a payment plan.
2) Late Pick-Up Billing Details: these kick in if you are not in line by the final pick up time. Fees are $26/hour; $14/half hour. Our office reviews check out times at the end of camp, and bills to card on file. Contact us for any further clarification. Waiving fees: On site staff do not have authority to waive any fees. Contact our office for extenuating circumstance you want us to consider.
3) E-check Chargeback Fee: For any chargebacks, accounts will incur a $15 fee and we will immediately charge the amount due and the fee to your credit card on file. If there is no credit card on file, families will need to provide a payment by credit card within 24 hours to keep their registration.
4) Credit Card Failure and Payment Due: our office will get in touch with you to give us an updated card. If you know your card is compromised and no longer working, please contact the office to update your card on file.
5) Fees for Non-Payments: After two times of trying to garner payments, if we need to re-contact you for non-payment, a 20% or maximum $50 charge will apply each time balances are not paid. Cancellations by our office get triggered a month before camp, and if we have not received replies from you about payment issues. See refund policy for more details about this situation.
GENERAL ILLNESS PREVENTION & COVID SPECIFIC: This info is fluid around Covid specific details about testing or masking, so could be different at the time of camp, stricter or looser. We were open at the start of the pandemic, in Summer 2020, and onward, so have lots of experience navigating details.
The Monkey Business Camp staff team works to insure a healthy environment for kids to explore and play. Regular handwashing before meals and after toileting, assessment of kids who complain or show signs of illness are two primary ways they do so. Parents or other caregivers also play a large part. One way is by being more cautious leading up to and during camp, so kids are less likely to be sick and miss time. Consider wearing masks while traveling or in public places with a lot of people. We also require that if your child has flu, cold, gastrointestinal or other symptoms, to test for Covid-more details below. Whatever your child’s illness, please keep your child home until symptoms have improved significantly and once they return, wearing a mask sometimes a good idea or mandatory-see below.
Other Details:
- 24 hours fever free without fever reducing medication in order to return to camp.
- The contagious period for most viral illnesses/flus begins about 1 day before symptoms and lasts as long as 5-7 days from when first sick; for colds, 1-2 days before symptoms, and lasts while symptoms present and up to 2 weeks. Please check in with your doctor if you need more clarity.
- Masking:
- optional, and we recommend doing so, when your child may have been exposed to any flu/illness
- mandatory if a close contact of someone with Covid (spent 15 minutes in past 24 hours inside with person), for 5 days from exposure (day 0).
- mandatory if your child has just had Covid, they will need to need to wear a mask through Day 10, unless send two negative tests to text thread on two consecutive days.
- Testing:
- test for Covid when any illness symptoms present. Text result to our camp text thread. If positive for Covid, follow isolation instructions and your child can return to camp on Day 6 (Day 0 being first positive test or symptoms), as long as no fever without fever reducing medications, and symptoms improving.
- Additional recommendations for other times for WHEN TO TEST.
- all parents can pick up a box of two tests at camp until they run out.
NON-EMERGENCY & EMERGENCY MEDICAL or DENTAL NEEDS:
Staff, in case of need for emergency medical intervention for a camper, will contact 911 for an ambulance, as well as child’s emergency contacts. If ambulance leaves camp before parent arrives, one of our staff will ride with camper, and meet parents at the hospital. Staff never drive campers. Please make sure you and/or at least one emergency contact will be available each day of camp in case of sickness or any other need to get to camp quickly. Dental occurrences may be chipped, broken, partially dislodged, or knocked out teeth. Knocked out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by the dentist and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.
MEDICATIONS:
Our staff is unable to give regularly scheduled daily medications or herbs, so please administer those to your child before or after camp. Medicine, prescription or non-prescription, on an “as needed” basis must be added to your child’s online medical form, including dosage and in which circumstances to administer. If you need to make any edits after submission of the medical form, e-mail our office to unlock the form. Bring medications in original packaging and give to the site director, who will store in on site first aid backpack for duration of your child’s time at camp. Exception to this is any parent of an older child who can handle medications on their own who fills out signed consent form on first day of camp for medication to be stored in child’s own backpack, or has filled out in previous camp and not revoked permission.
LICE/NIT POLICY:
If we discover your child has nits or lice while they are at camp, staff will contact you to come pick up your child asap. Before they can come back to camp, they need to be nit free. If you are not sure how to confirm that, please utilize a service that can send you with a letter.
STAFFING FOR LATE PICK-UPS:
We usually have a two staff minimum on site, but with late pick-ups, when at the end of a camp day, we may have one staff with your child until you or other caregiver arrives.
FOOD PROGRAM:
Parents send in lunch, two snacks and a water bottle. Camp may serve occasional treats, like fruit popsicles, or have a cooking project.
CHECKING IN AND OUT, AUTHORIZED LIST OF PICK-UP PEOPLE FOR YOUR CHILD, and I.D. CHECK INFO: Our staff will check in and out your child based on your drop off and pick up times. These records are reviewed for any late pick-up billing. At pick-up time, staff will release kids to those people listed on your authorized list. Please make sure your list is updated in the Household Area on your online account by 2pm the Tuesday before camp. Emergency contacts should be updated at the same time. In the case of authorized pick-up additions after Tuesday, 2pm, parents will need to text or verbally tell on site staff. The last minute updates will be entered by the office for the current camp, but the families household account will not be updated. At pick up, our staff checks authorized list, and that your child recognizes person. We do not check i.d. unless you let our office know about a situation that would require this (contact office at least a week before camp).
PERMISSION FOR CHILDREN TO CHECK THEMSELVES IN AND OUT:
There is an optional form when you register where you can give your child permission to check themselves in and out. In this case, children are responsible for themselves before the check in time and after the check-out time. Usually this permission has been given to older campers only, but sometimes, when an older sibling can help support a younger one, also given to younger child. Last minute, if you did not fill out the online form in your child’s account by specific timing named in e-mail sent the week before camp, you would need to verbally communicate with onsite staff to let them know you give permission. The same details apply when you give verbal okay, which means that children are responsible for themselves before the check in time and after the check-out time.
STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THESE WHEN YOU ARE ENROLLED AT A CAMP PROGRAM:
-
- I hereby certify that I have given full disclosure concerning all behavioral, medical, physical, and psychological conditions which may have relevance to my child while at camp. I understand that failure to provide full disclosure is grounds for immediate dismissal without refund.
- I will pay in full for the services.
- I understand that Monkey Business Camp will charge my card on file for any late pick-ups, based on details here in this policy agreement, and repeated in parent info packet.
- I know all adults, including myself, involved in my child’s participation at camp will need to abide by the parent info packet sent before camp, and these policies.
