Kids’ Camps is an organization in Australia that provides recreational activities for children and young people with an intellectual disability (Down’s syndrome, Autism etc). It has been working in Australia for the past thirty years to help young people to enjoy fun activities and at the same time giving respite to their care givers. It offers selected regional camps for recreation and respite for children of school age and provides them with the necessary help and support they need with their kids.
Vision
The vision of the community is to establish such a community where children and young people with disabilities can explore their full potential and energy and where families are given the necessary support and respite that they need.
Mission
The mission is the provision of respite to the children and young people with special needs as well as their families by engaging them in affordable activities and camps based on good social and educational principles.
Values
It is a value based organization that gives due preference to social and educational principles. The organization believes that children and their carers have the right to choose the kind of support they need and require to best explore their abilities and spend their leisure time. It values their right of self-determination and lets them choose the organization’s role in designing their relief. Moreover it believes that every child is unique and different from the other and they should all have an equal opportunity to grow and learn in a meaningful way. It ensures them their achievement of goals and targets by working together with them in a friendly and fun-filled environment. It is the strong belief of the organization that everyone has the right to be treated justly and to be felt included in the society irrespective of their belief, culture or physical condition. It respects the value of diversity and encourages people to respect their differences and appreciate their commonalities. It believes that if one spares time to listen, he can learn from anyone. It is among the organization’s values to respect the community, since the individual’s needs are best fulfilled within his community.
Commitment
Kids Camps is committed to its work in the provision of recreational activities for the children and young people with special needs as well as their families and carers. It ensures quality in all the services and camps it provides and aims to achieve the highest standards of social and educational recreation. We hold ourselves accountable for all the programs we design and the values we teach. It offers a safe, secure and supportive environment to the children where they can enjoy new experiences and explore beyond boundaries. The organization is well aware of the fact that children are quick to grasp new ideas and notions while living among the people of their own age or status. They feel comfortable in their own circles and learn more through friendships and group activities. For this it is committed to provide them with the best there is and helps them to go beyond their mental and physical boundaries.
Goals
The goals that the organization has identified for its 2013-2017 plan include a number of strategic points. It aims to continue its support to the young people with intellectual disabilities and their families by delivering them the highest quality services. The idea is to widen the organization’s span of influence by increasing the number of children it caters and by enlarging the focus of its services and establishing new locations for the organization’s office. It aims to enlarge organizational viability by creating a high public profile and increasing the source of provision of funds. It must establish partnerships with other service providers in the field and design programs that best meet the needs and requirement of the community.
Programs Offered
The Kids’ Camps offers a great variety of recreational programs for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years who have developed or were born with an intellectual disability. They have special needs and so does their families and care givers who also need respite from their routine. It believes that people need to be accepted in the community despite of their beliefs, culture and physical disabilities so that they can explore their true potential and grow with the society without feeling dejected or left out. The programs we offer provide a supportive and encouraging learning environment where children and young people indulge in fun activities and make new friends. The camps are held on weekends and during the school holidays. It offers more than 250 camp placements per year. It gets volunteer support from over 150 individuals who willingly provide care and support to the people attending the camp. The organization gets volunteers from all walks of life ranging from age 17 to 60 to assist the intellectually disabled people in recreation and respite from their homes. It is also assisted financially by a number of government departments, charity organizations and individuals who assist by providing financial assistance and donations. These donations help kids’ Camp to create new activities and offer more camp places.
Outcomes
The children who take part in the recreational activities offered by the organization find relief and respite from their homes. Their families also get a chance to freshen themselves during the holidays. The children spend quality time with the other children who attend the camp. They make new friends and explore their potential and abilities. They feel part of the community they live in and do not feel neglected or left out. The children and young people despite of their intellectual disabilities participate fully in the activities and recreational camps designed for them. It helps them to discover new aspects of themselves by trying new sports and fun activities. It provides them a circle of wonderful friends who appreciate their abilities and rejoice in their triumphs.
Kids’ Camp is a charity based volunteer organization that offers recreation and respite to children with intellectual disabilities and their families. It is working since thirty years to make these people equal members of the community.
