Overnight summer camp offers children countless benefits, including opportunities to build meaningful friendships, discover new interests, develop confidence, strengthen teamwork skills, stay physically active, engage in hands-on learning and gain a greater sense of purpose and independence.
Every child deserves the chance to experience these benefits. However, for youth in foster care, attending an overnight camp can present unique challenges. Time away from home and their support system, along with scheduled family visits, therapy appointments and other commitments, can make overnight camp difficult or impossible to attend.
To help remove these barriers, the Rotary Club of Elmhurst has partnered with the Fostering Child Happiness Foundation and YMCA's Camp Duncan in Ingleside, Illinois, to provide a one-of-a-kind camp experience for youth in foster care, youth adopted from foster care, former foster youth and foster families.
This special one-day camp adventure allows children to enjoy the excitement and benefits of an overnight camp—without the overnight stay.
On July 25, 30 children ages 6-17 traveled by bus from Elmhurst to YMCA Camp Duncan for a full day of outdoor adventure, learning and fun. Thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Elmhurst’s partners, there is no cost for youth in foster care to participate.
Campers enjoyed many of the signature activities that make YMCA Camp Duncan such a memorable experience, including the ropes course, climbing tower, arts and crafts, hiking, archery, slingshot paintball and much more. Participants were grouped by age to ensure activities were engaging and age appropriate.
Throughout the day, YMCA Camp Duncan staff, Fostering Child Happiness Foundation staff and Rotary Club of Elmhurst volunteers led activities, encouraged new friendships and created a safe, welcoming environment where every camper can build confidence, make lasting memories and simply enjoy being a kid.
