Health & Wellness
health and safety is our highest priority.
The American Youth Foundation relies on our partnerships with participant families to ensure the well-being of our communities each summer.
Prior to camp, please teach and reinforce good hygiene habits at home, including hand washing, showering, brushing teeth, putting on sunscreen and bug repellent, dressing for the weather, and staying hydrated. Remind your participant to come to the camp Health Center if they do not feel well or get injured. Our Health Team is always available to help!
AYF Health & Wellness Policies
The AYF uses an online portal called CampBrain to safely and securely register participants for summer camp and NLC.
Families create their CampBrain account when they register their participant for a summer program. They log in to CampBrain when they make an online payment, access health forms, or need to upload additional information to complete their participant’s registration.
We believe camp should be accessible to as many young people as possible, and we put real effort into making that so. We review every camper application with an eye toward inclusion, and our team will make every reasonable effort to accommodate campers with a wide range of conditions, strengths, and abilities.
As part of that process, we may reach out to gather additional information about your camper's health history or connect with our Medical Review Team to think through what support or accommodations might be needed. When that happens, please know it comes from a genuine desire to set your camper up for success, not to create barriers.
There are some conditions that fall outside what we can safely manage in a camp setting, and in those cases, we may not be able to enroll a camper. Those conversations are never easy, and we approach them with care.
The most important thing you can do is share everything. A recent diagnosis, an ongoing condition, a medication change — all of it helps us prepare and is essential to our ability to safely meet your camper’s needs. We can often welcome campers with newly diagnosed conditions; what matters is that we have the full picture.
If a camper is asked to leave due to a health condition that was not disclosed on their forms, families may not be eligible for a medical refund. The more we know, the better we can serve your camper.
The following camper health forms must be completed on CampBrain by April 1, 2026 for a participant to be fully enrolled in any AYF summer camp.
- Acknowledgment of Health Policies
- Camper Health History
- 2026 Camper Physical* (to be completed by a doctor after a physical exam in the past 12 months)
- Immunizations Record
*If your camper’s physical is after April 1, please contact us at miniwancacamps@ayf.com to let us know the date.
If applicable:
- Asthma/Allergy Action Plan
- Emergency Medication Permission
4 Weeks Before Session Opening Day
Camper Health Update: This form asks families to share any pertinent changes to a camper’s medical history that occurred since submitting their Health History on April 1.
The following participant health forms must be completed on CampBrain by April 1, 2026 for a participant to be fully enrolled in NLC.
- Acknowledgement of 2026 Health Policies
- Health History Form
- Immunization Record
If applicable:
- Asthma/Allergy Action Plan
- Emergency Medication Permission
- Other medical paperwork as requested
If participants do not submit health forms by April 1, they will be moved to the program waitlist until the AYF receives their forms and they have cleared the Medical Review process. If participants are unable to submit health forms by the deadlines, please contact NLC at nlc@ayf.com prior to April 1.
Each site maintains a modern Health Center with a registered nurse and assistant health officers in residence, as well as an advising physician. All AYF Health Team staff are trained in CPR and first aid.
The registered nurse assists with medical needs on-site and in the backcountry. Under the guidance of the camp medical advisor (a local physician near each site), the AYF evaluates health problems and injuries at the Health Center. If necessary, they use telehealth, local urgent care, and local hospitals for outside medical care.
If a camper requires treatment from an outside health care provider, families are notified as soon as possible. They are also notified if their camper spends the night in the Health Center.
All outcamping trip leaders are certified in Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder/WEMT. They are well-trained in problems unique to backcountry travel and have a well-developed safety system in place. All off-site trips carry cell or satellite phones.
Many campers take daily medication, and our Health Team will safely administer all medications, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. At camp, medications are only administered after meals and at bedtime. If your camper requires medication at another time, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss.
Families should not send common medications like Benadryl, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen with their camper, as the Health Center is well-stocked with these items.
Campers are not allowed to keep any prescription or over-the-counter medication, even as-needed medication, with their personal belongings while at camp.
At camp, medications are only administered after meals and at bedtime. If your camper requires medication at another time, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss.
Campers are not allowed to self-administer any medication except EpiPens
and rescue inhalers with a completed permission form on file.
The AYF Food Program Teams provide nourishing family-style meals to all participants. Menus does not include tree nuts, and our kitchens do not serve food containing peanuts, peanut butter, or peanut oil. Note that some snacks and desserts may contain trace amounts of peanuts or may have been manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts. Vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free options are available at each meal.
Families should disclose any special dietary needs in the Camper Health History Form to help us determine if Miniwanca can meet your child’s needs.
For more information about the Food Program, please email Miniwanca camp team or Merrowvista camp team.
Please include details the participant’s asthma history and medications on their application and health forms. The Health Center keeps daily maintenance inhalers on site and and administers them daily.
Participants who use a rescue asthma inhaler should bring two to camp – one to keep in the Health Center and one to carry with them. Participants who carry their inhalers at camp must complete the Permission to Self-Administer Emergency Medication form and upload it to CampBrain.
We want every camper who takes behavioral or mental health medication to have a safe and successful summer, and that starts with some important timing considerations.
We ask that campers arrive with the same medication, at the same dose, that they have been taking for at least three months. This gives enough time to confirm the medication is working well and that your camper is settled and thriving on it. We also ask that no changes be made to the type or dosage of any behavioral or mental health medication within six weeks of Opening Day.
If any medication changes are under consideration, now is the time to work with your camper's physician so that any adjustments can happen well within that window.
One exception: If your camper takes ADD/ADHD medication during the school year but routinely takes a medication holiday over the summer — and has done so before — the six-week rule does not apply.
Camp families should take precautionary measures to see that your camper is free of both lice and nits (eggs) prior to their arrival at camp. If treatment is needed, carefully follow your health care provider’s instructions. Make sure all personal items (such as blankets, sleeping bags and clothing) are cleaned thoroughly before coming to camp. The AYF will share more information on what to look for and how to treat lice as Opening Day approaches.
The Health Team will check each camper for head lice on Opening Day. If they find nits or lice, the camper must leave camp until they are lice-free. Campers who arrive via plane or who live more than four hours away from camp will be treated onsite for a $500 fee charged to their account. The camper will stay in the Health Center, and their activities will be limited until they are lice-free.
Tick-repellent spray is available for use around camp. Families should also send tick repellent with their participants – 20% Picaridin or 20% to 30% DEET are most effective.
When program starts, the Health Team reviews tick prevention and safety with all participants and staff, including the importance of tick repellent, how and when to do a daily tick check, how to identify a tick, what to do if they find a tick, and follow-up care strategies.
Staff are trained on how to properly identify tick species and how to properly remove a tick. If a tick is suspected to be embedded 24 hours or longer, the Health Team will notify the family, monitor the camper for signs of infection or rash, and consult with the advising camp physician, as necessary.
If a tick is suspected to be embedded 24 hours or longer, the Health Team will notify the family, consult with the advising camp physician, and monitor the camper for signs of infection or rash.
