Youth Camp Guidance, Clarifications, and FAQs

In rule, §265.11 (26), there are five defined types of youth camp specialized activities, in an outdoor setting, that require an adult trained specialist to oversee at all times:

Waterfront Activities

• Swimming
• Kayaking
• Canoeing
• Boating
• Snorkeling
• Scuba Diving

Archery

• Archery range
• Archery Tag
• Axe / knife / spear target throwing      

Horseback Riding Program  

Challenge Courses

• Stationary High/Low Ropes courses that are required to be inspected annually, by an insured third-party inspector.
• May include zip lines, climbing walls, giant swings, towers, etc.

Riflery

• BB Guns
• Paintball
• Rifle range

Other activities may be considered on a case by case basis. To determine whether an “other” activity, not explicitly on our list, would be a qualifying activity, we will consider the following: Does the activity pose an elevated risk of injury, necessitate additional liability insurance, and require constant trained adult supervision and safety equipment?

Who is responsible to make sure theses checks and trainings have been completed?

The rules only speak to requirements of the license holder.  A “rental type facility”, that holds a Youth Camp license and hosts various groups, shall comply with all Youth Camp rules and is responsible, as the licensee, to address any and all violations noted upon inspection.

If a license holder is a “rental facility” it must develop it’s own policies and procedures to ensure all annual criminal background/ sex offender checks and approved youth protection trainings are completed for all those individuals operating under their Youth Camp license.

Current rule language (below) clarifies criminal background check requirements for all adults, if they have unsupervised contact with campers, other than their own children. Anyone, including: counselors, group leaders, junior counselors having unsupervised contact with campers, other than their own children must complete an approved youth protection training.

Rule §265.12(f) clarifies the requirement of an annual criminal background check and sex offender registration check for all adults who have unsupervised contact with campers, other than their own children.

Rule §265.12(i)(1) removes an outdated effective date and clarifies that anyone who will have unsupervised contact with campers, other than their own children must complete an approved sexual abuse and child molestation awareness training and examination program.

Per 265.12(i)(2) "contact with campers" does not include visitors such as a guest speaker, an entertainer, or a parent who visits for a limited purpose or a limited time if the visitor has no direct and unsupervised contact with campers.

Abuse definition, by rule, found here at link to Family Code 261 Investigation of Report of Child Abuse or Neglect.

“Reporting and Abuse Prevention” topic is covered for your staff when they complete an approved youth protection training, it is a required element of those trainings.

More guidance and documents here: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/youthcamp/report-abuse.aspx

An adult by Texas law is someone 18 years of age or older. In regards to minors as lifeguards they may serve as lifeguarding staff only. You must have at a minimum one adult lifeguard or the adult water font director present and supervising any waterfront activity.

HB 4372 states the Youth Camp weblink must be “clearly marked” only, and gives no guidance to where on the camp’s website this link shall be posted.

So any page on your website would be acceptable, as long as the link is clearly marked.

Ring buoy is required since a Youth Camp pool is, by rule, a public pool and must comply with all pool rules: Chapter 265, Subchapter L - Standards for Public Pools and Spas 

No, per rule §265.15. Medical and Nursing Care (a) Record of an on-call physician required. Documentation shall be kept on file of a physician licensed to practice in Texas who is available to be on call at all times to advise health service personnel on all first aid and nursing services provided by the camp.

Options to naming a single physician as your point of contact would be to obtain an agreement with a medical facility (hospital, clinic, physician’s group, free-standing Emergency Room, etc.) that can ensure a physician will be available to take call anytime your camp is operating.

Both archery and shooting ranges have similar requirements for adult trained staff under §265.12 Directors, Supervisors and Staff, which requires an adult trained specialist who has documented training or at least two years documented experience in conducting the activity.

§265.17. Program Safety and Equipment

(a) Firearm or pellet gun programs at youth camps. A firearm or pellet gun program shall be conducted on a range that meets or exceeds the specifications outlined by the National Rifle Association or its equivalent. Safety procedures shall be enforced whenever the range is in use. The range shall be conspicuously marked and configured to prevent entry of campers onto the range while it is in use. 

(b) Archery program at youth camps. An archery program shall be conducted on a range that meets or exceeds the specifications outlined by the National Field Archery Association or its equivalent. The archery range shall be conspicuously marked and configured to prevent entry of campers onto the range while it is in use. (PDF)

(c) Program equipment condition and use. Equipment used in all programs shall be kept in good condition and present no hazard as a result of poor condition to the user at any time.

(d) Storage of firearms, pellet guns, and archery equipment when not in use. Firearms, pellet guns, ammunition, and archery equipment shall be kept in a secured area when not in use.

Guidance Publications

• National Field Archery Association (NFAA) - Range Guidelines

Yes, a three-ring binder, spiral notebook, composition book may be used as long as the pages are pre-printed and numbered and it records the required information listed below in rule.

Current rule language (below) has eliminated the term “bound medical log required” for clarity and replaced with term “medical log required”.

§265.12 (h) Medical log required. A bound medical log, or other unalterable record keeping system, listing date, name of the patient, ailment, name of the Camp Health Officer, and the treatment prescribed shall be kept in the first aid area for the duration of the camp year for which the license is issued.

• Paid kitchen staff must have at a minimum, a current Food Handler certification, and may have Food Manager certification.
• Volunteer kitchen staff must be supervised by a kitchen manager who must have a current Food Handler or Food Manager certification.

Three different water test results are required by rule and those are bacteriological, chemical, and disinfectant.

More rule details here for private water systems serving camps under rule 265.13 Site and Physical Facilities (q) (3), (4), and (5) here: Texas Administrative Code