At MiCamp we understand that it can be a big step sending your precious child/children to camp for a week in the school holidays. This page should help you (as the parent/caregiver of the child) ease your concerns and help you make an informed decision before sending your child to holiday camp. As you may have seen our holiday camps are OSCAR approved meaning we hold to high standards through Ministry of Social Development, you can read more about this towards the bottom of the page.
Info for Parents/Caregivers
About Camp:
Kids learn awesome life skills and get to kick-start their independence while at camp.
No two camps at MiCamp are the same, we have all kinds of different crazy activities planned each camp, as well as great leaders that all bring their own flair and flavour to camp life.
Our programmes are full with a small amount of free time (for chilling, free play and showering!) so that campers are kept busy at all times.
See our our photo albums on our Facebook Page - MiCamp Trust - to see what we've been up to at previous camps. - https://www.facebook.com/micamptrust/photos/?tab=album&ref=page_internal
Affordable Childcare in the holidays:
MiCamp Kids Holiday Camps are run to serve the children and provide a fun, safe and interesting holiday programme - that is why our camp fees are so low! It covers 4 nights accommodation, all food, snacks, activities, supplies and prizes!
We want camps to be accessible to people from all over the local areas, which is why we have OSCAR approval for both sites (meaning parents can apply for subsidies from WINZ) and relationships with agencies that can provide financial assistance.
Please contact us if you would like us to put you in touch with one of these agencies, or see below about OSCAR information
If you would like to donate or sponsor a child to come to camp, please contact us today or see our donations page.
Kids learn awesome life skills and get to kick-start their independence while at camp.
No two camps at MiCamp are the same, we have all kinds of different crazy activities planned each camp, as well as great leaders that all bring their own flair and flavour to camp life.
Our programmes are full with a small amount of free time (for chilling, free play and showering!) so that campers are kept busy at all times.
See our our photo albums on our Facebook Page - MiCamp Trust - to see what we've been up to at previous camps. - https://www.facebook.com/micamptrust/photos/?tab=album&ref=page_internal
Affordable Childcare in the holidays:
MiCamp Kids Holiday Camps are run to serve the children and provide a fun, safe and interesting holiday programme - that is why our camp fees are so low! It covers 4 nights accommodation, all food, snacks, activities, supplies and prizes!
We want camps to be accessible to people from all over the local areas, which is why we have OSCAR approval for both sites (meaning parents can apply for subsidies from WINZ) and relationships with agencies that can provide financial assistance.
Please contact us if you would like us to put you in touch with one of these agencies, or see below about OSCAR information
If you would like to donate or sponsor a child to come to camp, please contact us today or see our donations page.
HOMESICKNESS
Homesickness is something that affects almost everyone during their life!
In a study of 329 boys ages 8-16 (at a boys overnight camp) in the USA, 83 percent of campers reported feeling homesick on at least one day of camp.
And it's not just children that can feel homesick, anyone that leaves a familiar environment for a new one - be it a new school, new town or new country can be subject to feelings of homesickness.
Here are some ways that Parents can help their children prepare for and deal with homesickness.
AVOID:
Resources:
http://campspirit.com/wp-content/themes/CampSpiritTheme/pdf/acedemicjournals/preventing_treating_homesickness.pdf
Homesickness is something that affects almost everyone during their life!
In a study of 329 boys ages 8-16 (at a boys overnight camp) in the USA, 83 percent of campers reported feeling homesick on at least one day of camp.
And it's not just children that can feel homesick, anyone that leaves a familiar environment for a new one - be it a new school, new town or new country can be subject to feelings of homesickness.
Here are some ways that Parents can help their children prepare for and deal with homesickness.
- Talk with your child before enrolling them to camp - make it a decision between the two of you.
- Discuss with the Camp Coordinator before camp and on the first day if your child is likely to be homesick. We can monitor their behavior and divert attention from feeling homesick to something else. If their homesick is severe (only about 7% of all homesick cases are severe, which can affect eating) we may ask you to collect them.
- If they are nervous about leaving home, listen to their concerns. Make them understand that camp is for a short time (although it feels like forever to them!) and you will miss them, but are also very excited for them that they get to go to camp. Campers may feel uneasy that they are going away with their parents missing them. Acknowledge it in a positive way.
- Do not promise to call, visit or send a cellphone, as we have a 'no cellphone policy' for campers - and calling home or visiting makes the situation much worse! Instead, give your child some letters to open while at camp, or send an email to the office (Taupo only) which we can print and give to your camper. They can write a reply that we can scan and email back.
- Bring a Buddy! Campers that have a good friend with them have a familiar face in the crowd of unfamiliar ones! Even if they are not in the same cabin, it is good to have someone you know around.
- Pack a personal item from home, such as a stuffed animal or favourite blanket or pillow.
AVOID:
- Making "pick up deals" with your child: ' "if you don't like it, I'll come get you." This sets the child up to fail in many ways.
- Using camp as a way to have a break from medication. This is not fair on camp staff and volunteers or the camper.
- Sending a camper if they are sick or still recovering from an illness. Camp can be very tiring and may cause them to become unwell again. Apart from the risk that others will become unwell, being sick at camp is not a comfortable experience for campers.
Resources:
http://campspirit.com/wp-content/themes/CampSpiritTheme/pdf/acedemicjournals/preventing_treating_homesickness.pdf
About OSCAR
What is OSCAR?
OSCAR stands for Out of School Care And Recreation. It is a government-run system that creates a standard of child-care that is consistent across New Zealand for all participants.
MiCamp Taupo and MiCamp Whakamaru kids camps are both OSCAR approved, meaning that both sites have policies and procedures for child safety that are put into practice at every camp by all staff, leaders and helpers.
OSCAR is currently run by the Ministry of Development, which can subsidise child care costs and camp fees.
How it works:
If you have never been subsidised by OSCAR before and think you may be eligible (you can get an idea here) you should start by making an appointment with your local WINZ office's Child Care supervisor. They can advise you as to how much you may be eligible for.
If you get the go-ahead, then register your child or children for camp, specifying that you are sponsored, and that you need the OSCAR paperwork.
We at camp will then fill in our section of the form and return it to you either by post or email. Once you receive the forms back you can make another appointment with WINZ for their camp-by-camp approval.
If you have been approved, then you are good to go!
If you are not approved, you may be able to seek funding or sponsorship from other avenues, such as your local Bluelight, Inter-Church Welfare, or if you attend a local church you could try asking them for sponsorship.
Sorry, but due to privacy policies, MiCamp Cannot:
- Apply on your behalf for get OSCAR subsidies
- Check the status of your application
Documents:
WINZ ChildCare and OSCAR subsidy application form
Click the button below to read MiCamps Holiday Camp OSCAR policies and procedures
OSCAR stands for Out of School Care And Recreation. It is a government-run system that creates a standard of child-care that is consistent across New Zealand for all participants.
MiCamp Taupo and MiCamp Whakamaru kids camps are both OSCAR approved, meaning that both sites have policies and procedures for child safety that are put into practice at every camp by all staff, leaders and helpers.
OSCAR is currently run by the Ministry of Development, which can subsidise child care costs and camp fees.
How it works:
If you have never been subsidised by OSCAR before and think you may be eligible (you can get an idea here) you should start by making an appointment with your local WINZ office's Child Care supervisor. They can advise you as to how much you may be eligible for.
If you get the go-ahead, then register your child or children for camp, specifying that you are sponsored, and that you need the OSCAR paperwork.
We at camp will then fill in our section of the form and return it to you either by post or email. Once you receive the forms back you can make another appointment with WINZ for their camp-by-camp approval.
If you have been approved, then you are good to go!
If you are not approved, you may be able to seek funding or sponsorship from other avenues, such as your local Bluelight, Inter-Church Welfare, or if you attend a local church you could try asking them for sponsorship.
Sorry, but due to privacy policies, MiCamp Cannot:
- Apply on your behalf for get OSCAR subsidies
- Check the status of your application
Documents:
WINZ ChildCare and OSCAR subsidy application form
Click the button below to read MiCamps Holiday Camp OSCAR policies and procedures