FAQs

Looking to build off the success of Summer Camp 2020, where we are proud to announce that there was not a single reported confirmed case of COVID-19, we know our plan for Summer Camp 2021 will be even more exciting due to having last year’s experience on the record. JCC Brooklyn will be adhering strictly to all NYC and NYS COVID-19 regulations for Summer 2021.

To aid you in your decision-making process and help answer your questions about the modifications we’re making, we’ve compiled this handy Q&A.

Does JCC Brooklyn have the permit to operate camp during Summer 2021?
Yes, the JCC Brooklyn Summer Day Camp has already received its permit as a result of forward planning from the moment Camp 2020 concluded.

Where can I find the dates and prices for the JCC Brooklyn Camps?
Please visit our Dates and Rates page to view the dates for the 2021 JCC Brooklyn Summer Camps as well as the fees for the camps.

How can I register my child?
Please visit our registration page where you will be able to log in and follow the prompts to register your child[ren].

How can I add weeks to my child’s schedule?
Please email us at camp@jcc-brooklyn.org and we’ll be happy to make any needed changes.

When is the payment due date?
The full payment is due on or before June 1, 2021.

What will a typical day be for my child?
Please visit our A Typical Day page to learn more about what your child could expect during their camp day.

What is the group size at the JCC Brooklyn camps?
The ratio of children to staff is no more than 15 campers to 2 counselors per group.

Where is the camp located?
The JCC Brooklyn Summer Camps utilize our Bay Ridge Campus, located inside of the Fort Hamilton Army Base. Our Bay Ridge Campus is a beautiful, gated 177 acre outdoor facility on a country-like campus featuring green grass fields, outdoor pool, private eight-lane bowling alley, movie theater, basketball courts, arcade and cafe on site, and so much more.

Will the camp cancel activities on a rainy day?
The beauty of having a 177 acre campus is that our parents don’t need to worry about taking off from work due to a rainy day. Our Bay Ridge Campus offers plenty of indoor space and we can easily transition most activities indoors to continue on with our campers’ day. The only caveat is that we might need to cancel swimming as our Olympic size pool is outdoors.

Does the camp offer transportation?
We offer bus stop transportation from various neighborhoods in Brownstone Brooklyn: Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Clinton Hill, North Williamsburg, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Ditmas Park, Greenpoint, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, etc. To view our sample bus stop routes, please visit our Transportation page. We are, currently, in the process of creating the bus stop routes for Summer 2021 and will update our transportation page shortly.

Can I tour the camp site?

Please visit our Tours page to learn more about our tour and information sessions.

How will lunch and food distribution be handled?
Campers bring a nut-free lunch from home and will eat in the same groups of 15 with individual eating spaces in a picnic-style group that adheres to all social distancing guidelines.

Can my child be placed in the same group as their friend?
Absolutely! There are two ways that this could be done. As you fill out the application, please add the friends’ first and last name[s] into the question for “special requests”. If you’ve already submitted the application, just send us the first and last name[s] of the friend[s] and we’ll ensure to group the campers together.

What will my child need to bring to camp each day?

Every day, we ask for the campers to bring in the following items: nut free lunch, refillable water bottle, sunscreen, hat, swim suit and a towel and wear closed toe shoes. For our littlest campers, we also advise a full change of clothes, as well.

Covid-19 Updates

Are you really going to be able to effectively promote social distancing within your facility? How can groups effectively be managed?
JCC Brooklyn Summer Day Camp’s location and facilities lend themselves to social distancing. The Fort Hamilton Army Base in Bay Ridge gives us 177 acres of usable space, which includes sports fields, two outdoor swimming pools, indoor gyms, theater, bowling alley, and bike trails. This amount of space — a rare commodity in Brooklyn — allows us to place campers in groups of no more than 15*, rotating between indoor and outdoor activities every hour. Separating groups into different zones will help to ensure limited contact with other campers and will help to effectively contain any potential spread of the virus.

*subject to Department of Health guidelines

Can you please go into detail about your plans for personal protection for campers & staff, sanitization procedures, and medical protocols?
Our top priority remains the safety of our campers and staff. Guidelines are constantly being updated and we will keep families up to date with changes. In 2020, the following applied and will continue unless otherwise noted in future publications:

Medical form and COVID-19 waivers are required for each participating camper.

Temperature screens will be required DAILY before entering the facility.

Select staff members who will undergo individual training to conduct screenings in the proper manner and will be assigned this post on a daily basis.

All staff will be required to wear protective face coverings while on shift.

Sanitizing and hand-washing stations will be located in all classrooms, field spaces, and active usable camp spaces. Bathrooms will be deep-cleaned frequently with personal attendants on duty to provide cleanliness checks.

What is your mask policy for Summer 2021?
As we all know, this summer’s final camp regulations are not yet issued by the Department of Health and we are updating our policy in anticipation of this still fluid COVID situation. As a result of our deliberations and in anticipation of NYC’s guidelines for day camps, we are implementing some COVID safety-related changes to our MASK policies following our conversations with our Parent Advisory Board.

Use of Masks by Summer Camp Staff

Masking OUTDOORS: 
Campers and Counselors are NOT required to wear masks outdoors.

Masking INDOORS: 
Counselors will be REQUIRED to wear masks indoors regardless of their vaccination status.
Campers will be highly ENCOURAGED to utilize masks indoors .

Masking  on Buses & Shuttles: 
ALL Campers and Staff will be REQUIRED to wear masks when on camp buses (Bus Stops, Kings Bay Y Shuttling, and Bay Ridge Campus Shuttling).

As more guidance is provided by our governing health agencies, we will update accordingly.

Please keep in mind that our Camp is run on a beautiful 177-acre campus that allows us to maximize time spent outdoors in our separate cohort model!  Although it is not a barometer of success, we are once again excited to report that we as a program had 0 reported positive cases of COVID-19 in summer camp 2020, and we attribute this to the high level of commitment to safety exhibited by our camp leadership and families alike.

Will staff and or campers be required to receive the COVID -19 vaccine prior to the start of camp?

The JCC Brooklyn Summer Day Camp strictly adheres to the regulations set forth by the NYC Department of Health. At the moment, the DOH does not require the COVID-19 vaccine. However, as a community organization, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to do so.

How will trips and transportation work?
We do not yet have a concrete answer, as guidelines have not been released in relation to allowability of trips. Rest assured we are prepared in either case as we have our incredible staff creating trip itineraries in the event clearances are granted.

Morning and afternoon transportation will follow a similar format from 2020 on our air-conditioned buses. Camp families will be provided with a list of pre-determined stop locations to select from if interested in utilizing these services. Please note that our stops have been designed to limit the amount of travel time on each highlighted route.

Detailed bus transportation guidelines will be released as they become available.

What kind of activities should we expect to see in camp this year with all of these new guidelines being promoted?
Having the Bay Ridge Campus as our location allows us to continue our fantastic activities as we bring specialists directly to us! We are putting a keen focus on providing campers with awesome specialty activities led by professionals in their fields. These include:

Arts & Crafts

Swimming

Improv & Acting

Sports*

Science & STEM

Biking, Skating

Nature

Theater

Dance

Bowling

Computers

Martial Arts

Music

Check back frequently for our exciting updates as Summer Camp 2021 will surely have some incredible new surprises.

We want to mention that swimming in 2021 may follow a similar format from the previous camp year. It will be a bit different from an operational procedure standpoint, as groups will be heavily limited while utilizing pool space.  Locker rooms will be utilized in sections with additional spaces constructed to provide a social distance-friendly changing location. To learn more about our swim safety plan, please visit our Safety page.

Will communication procedures to families be updated this year?
Communication has always been a key talking point for our programs. Families will be sent up-to-date correspondences whenever a relevant piece of information, both camp and procedural (COVID-19), becomes available.  Our office staff will be on call daily from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. with emergency numbers and contact emails provided for outside of standard business hours.

My child has a pre-existing medical condition. Does this mean that he/she cannot attend camp?
This is a question that is very difficult to answer. The CDC has noted that children with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart conditions and breathing issues face a much greater risk of complications from COVID-19. While the decision of whether to send your child to camp is, of course, a personal one, we must note the severity and the risk associated with a summer camp for children with underlying medical conditions.

I want to register for camp, but I do not know what the state of the world will be like then. What do I do?
This is perhaps the billion-dollar question, and truth be told we are in the same predicament as you are in our knowledge. It is for this very reason that we have established a refund policy that states the following:

If we cannot operate the camp, we will be offering full refunds to our families. You will additionally have the option to roll over your child’s tuition to any future program or donate it back to camp.

In the event that camp begins as scheduled, the refund policy will adhere to the same standard as previous years with deposits Fully Refundable until June 1, 2021

We’d be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Please contact us at camp@jcc-brooklyn.org or 718-407-6377