Square pegs in round holes. Try as you might, you can't squeeze `em in. So it's no wonder traditional camps don't suit everyone. But at the Etobicoke Children's Centre, camp is a perfect fit for west-end kids 12 years old and under with emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties – issues that preclude them from regular programs.
The camp works because it provides a seamless transition from the five-day-a-week treatment programs kids attend during the school year, said Deborah Sliwinski, manager of day treatment programs. Services include family therapy, individual and group counselling, day treatment, intensive behavioural intervention for preschool children with autism, support to child-care centres and elementary schools.
At ECC camp, the staff-to-camper ratio is small and "counsellors" are trained in fields of social work, child and youth work, early childhood education, speech and language pathology, psychology and psychiatry. Teenage counsellors at a traditional camp simply wouldn't be able to cope, Sliwinski noted.
Because of their difficulties, chances are they'd be kicked out of traditional camps, which would only reinforce negative feelings. "A lot of the kids are dealing with issues such as trauma and domestic violence," she said. "The Etobicoke Children's Centre camp is a place that fits them because it offers structure, routines, predictability, a safe environment and where they can pursue their individual goals."
And the great thing about ECC camp is kids don't realize they're learning important life lessons such as conflict resolution, anger management, as well as social and behaviour skills. They're having too much fun playing sports, being creative in the arts and crafts room, and splashing around in the pools on the centre's front lawn.
Support from the Fresh Air Fund helps pay for the three buses that transport kids to and from the camp in central Etobicoke. "If we didn't have the money for transportation, it would be a huge disappointment," Sliwinski said.
Leslie Ferenc
24 June 2008
