Camp Policies

• CHANGE FEE

  $25 per registration will be charged for any changes made to an existing registration, including cancellation.

• CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY

  • Cancellations made more than 60 days before the camp starting date will receive a full refund of camp cost minus a $25 fee.

  • Cancellations made 30-60 days prior to camp starting date will receive 2/3 of camp cost minus a $25 fee.

  • Cancellations made less than 30 days before the camp starting date will not receive a refund UNLESS the camp is full, and we are able to fill the spot. In that case, we will provide a 50% refund of camp cost minus a $25 fee.

  • Refunds will be given in the following cases:

    Injury before or at camp, the amount refunded will be received as credit in their CampDoc account

    Extreme weather event (hurricane or similar)

• Listed costs include all fees. We highly encourage you to pay by personal check when possible; there is a coupon code to enter during registration to bypass credit card payments and avoid credit card fees, which go directly to credit card companies. We welcome check payments and you can contact us for a payment plan if needed! 

• Payment in full for camp is due 30 days before the camp session or week begins.

  If payment for camp has not been received 30 days before camp begins and there is a waitlist for that camp, we will reach out for your payment. (Exception: families who are current on payment plans.) If payment is not received within a grace period of 5 days we will cancel your registration and offer the spot to someone on the waitlist.

• We are trying to make Morse Hill accessible to more families, so we will use a sliding scale again this summer. In order to provide the best experience possible for campers and offer a fair wage to our staff, our sliding payment scale should more fairly distribute the cost of summer camp. All camps are listed at their base cost, with increases to the base cost based on self-attested income. We appreciate your understanding as we work to provide a more equitable model for our families and community. You can find more information on our sliding scale here. 

• We have included many coupons to help you save money, such as paying early, paying with a personal check, multi camp discounts and sibling discounts. We also offer scholarships to families on a need basis. To apply, please reach us at summer@morsehill.com and our office staff will assist you in the application process.

• Lastly, we ask for a 1/3 deposit so you do not have to pay so much up front.

PAY BY CHECK TO AVOID CREDIT CARD FEES!

• To pay by check, select “Other Payment Method” on the payment page.

• If paying by Credit Card, you will now see the credit card fees added to your purchase.

• Please consider paying by check to avoid credit card fees!

• For more information, visit our handy Guide to Paying by Check

Available Coupons for 2026:

• Pay in Full two months prior to camp week’s start: Save $13

  (This coupon is automatically applied at registration)

• Sibling Discount: Save $13 per camp

• Multi Camp Discounts: 2 camps (Save $13), 3 camps (Save $18), 4 camps (Save $27), 5 camps (Save $35)

• Pay by Check: An additional discount (3.95%) for paying by check!

Full Value Agreement and Safety Policy:

To meet our goals of keeping everyone physically and emotionally safe, our staff helps to guide campers to create their group Full Value Agreement using the following questions. It is adjusted to be age appropriate for each camp.

FULL VALUE AGREEMENT QUESTIONS

·     What is the appropriate balance between your needs and the group’s needs?

·     How do you use empathy to treat people the way they want to be treated?

·     How do you find the fun or value to stay involved in an activity you don't know or enjoy?

·     How do you treat people in a way that keeps them both emotionally and physically safe?

·     How do you give appropriate and affective feedback?

FULL VALUE LANGUAGE & COMMITMENT

·  Learn to use “I feel” statements to give feedback for behavior that makes you uncomfortable. For example, I feel_______ (insert emotion) when you_______ (insert behavior)

·  Commit to giving “I feel” feedback when the guidelines of your group’s agreement are broken.

·  Be willing to change personal behavior that breaks your Full Value Agreement

Counselors will talk privately with campers who are struggling to uphold aspects of their Full Value Agreement.  They will acknowledge and validate how the child feels. They will describe their feelings about the incident to the child and may ask “What do you need to make this situation better for you?”

If the behavior continues, the camper will be given options that may take place away from the group. Campers will be asked to work on strategies within sight of counselors that can help them rejoin their group.  At Morse Hill we try to intervene in an encouraging, respectful way that will bring out the child’s best self and restore any harm that was caused. We will facilitate them rejoining their group as soon as possible.

The counselor will call for the help of a supervisor if the behavior compromises the safety of the child, the group, or the counselor.

If an incident was reported to a supervisor, then the incident will be reported to the parent/caregiver at the end of the day and behavior strategies will be discussed for the next day. If it cannot be resolved with the help of a supervisor, the parent/caregiver or emergency contact person will be called at the time of the incident and a strategy will be discussed and carried out for that day.

The second time we must report to a parent/caregiver will result in the parent being asked not to send the child to camp for a day or for the remainder of the week. No refunds will be given. We fill out incident reports of behavior whenever we must talk to a parent or caregiver.

When challenging behaviors arise, counselors/staff will follow these steps. 

·   Step 1: Counselor intervenes verbally when behavior does not meet Full Value Agreement.  

·   Step 2: If the behavior has not changed, the supervisor will be called to assist in making a “Behavior Contract”. Parents/caregivers will be notified of their child’s “Behavior Contract” and concerning behavior at the end of the day. 

·   Step 3: The second time we must talk to a parent/caregiver about unsafe behavior we ask them to not send their child to camp. No refunds will be given.  

If you are concerned that your child may not be able to meet their Full Value Agreement, please consult with a Camp Director before registering your child for camp.

Health Records and Immunizations

Morse Hill will have the following information on site for all campers and staff: medical concerns, allergy information, current immunization record, emergency phone numbers, physician signature and/or parent signature pertaining to the camper’s ability to participate in camp. No camper will be admitted to camp without a completed health form, current physical and certificate of immunizations.

Campers and staff members shall report current medical history, which lists allergies, required medication, and physical or emotional impairments, which may affect the individual’s ability to participate at camp.

No person who is known to currently have tuberculosis or symptoms of tuberculosis shall be allowed to work, attend, or visit the grounds of Morse Hill.

Written documentation of immunization in accordance with the most current Department of Health immunization schedules developed pursuant to recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall be required for all campers and staff.

Copies of the health forms for each camper are kept with counselors at all times.

Communicable Diseases

Morse Hill has measures in place to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. We follow exclusion policies for serious illnesses, contagious diseases and reportable diseases. No camper may attend camp if they are sick. All communicable diseases must be reported to the Camp Director. All campers with fevers over 100°F and/or vomiting must leave the property as soon as possible and not return for 24 hours of being symptom free.

The Camp Director will notify the local health department in the case of suspected food, airborne, spread by contact, and/or water illnesses as soon as identified but no later than 24 hours after identification. The Camp Director will call either state or local health departments to consult in the case of any suspected communicable illness at camp.

Emergency Plans

All emergency phone numbers will be posted next to each phone and available in each camp group’s weekly folder. Those phone numbers include the number of the Camp Health Care Consultant, Police, Ambulance, Fire Department and MA Poison Info. Center. For off-campus trips, each camp group has a specific folder that details emergency steps and closest medical facilities.

When off site, at least one of the Counselors will carry a cellular phone. While on-site, at least one Counselor per group will carry a walkie talkie which also can be used for emergency purposes.

Staff

All staff working with children are professionally trained and certified in CPR and First Aid, or their equivalents and shall complete the Heads-Up online head injury safety training program as well as applicable paddlesports training and thorough Morse Hill training.

Medications

No medication will be administered without a written consent form from the parent/caregiver. Health Care Supervisors shall be trained or instructed by the Health Care Consultant to administer oral or topical medications. All prescription medications must be provided in the original prescription container with the pharmacy labels. For prescribed medicine, camp staff will not vary from the prescribed dose, appearing on the original label of the medication, without prior approval from the prescribing physician. All over the counter medications must be kept in the original containers, which shall include directions for use.

All medication will be kept out of reach of the children in a locked container. In the case of anaphylactic allergies, be sure that any necessary treatments are given to Morse Hill and any EpiPens are left with the Counselors or Camp Director. Campers shall self-administer and carry their EpiPens if the camper is capable of self-administration and the Health Care Consultant and the camper’s parent/caregiver has provided written approval. The Health Care Supervisors and Counselors will be trained in the administration of EPI Pens under the direction of the Health Care Consultant. Medications that require refrigeration or to be frozen will be kept in a locked container in the refrigerator or freezer.

All medications, with the exception of EPI Pens which are time critical, shall be administered by the health supervisor under the supervision of the health care consultant or a licensed health care professional.

When no longer needed, medications shall be returned to a parent or guardian whenever possible. Outdated or unused medication will be properly disposed of. A medical disposal log shall be maintained for at least three years, documenting any medication that could not be returned to the parent or guardian. Needles and Syringes will be disposed of in accordance with 105CMR480.000

A Medical Log is kept for all medications given and disposed of and for the documentation of all first aid administered by camp staff and reported injuries. Staff will not perform first aid beyond the certified knowledge.

The camp office has a fully stocked First Aid kit on hand.  In addition, the Counselors will carry First Aid packs wherever they go. The first aid kits shall meet the American National Standards Institute Z308.1-2015 requirements, including at minimum one Class B Kit and one or more Class A kits as necessary.

Tick Checks, Insect Repellant, and Sunscreen

Campers will be reminded to do tick checks regularly. We encourage parents to perform thorough tick checks on their child at the end of each day.

Insect repellent may be carried by campers and self-administered while being supervised by a camp counselor.  They must be outside, stand 10 feet and downwind from others while doing so.  Camp counselors can offer insect repellent if the parent/guardian has allowed so in the CampDoc health profile

Sunscreen may be carried by campers and counselors will remind campers to use it several times a day when under sun exposure. Morse Hill may also provide sunscreen (SPF25) if authorized by parents/guardian in the CampDoc health profile.

Allergy Awareness

All senior staff review the Health Profile of each child at the start of each camp. Staff involved in food packing and preparation are notified of any allergies by the Camp Director and this information is posted in the kitchen. In addition, all allergies are noted on the emergency form spreadsheet generated for each camp week.

If there is a camper with a severe peanut or tree nut allergy, or other life-threatening allergy in a session, families and campers for that camp group and are respectfully asked to refrain from bringing nuts or foods processed with nuts in lunches and snacks (or the relevant allergen).

Parents/caregivers are asked to document all allergies when completing their camper’s Health Profile in CampDoc. In addition, they are asked to give clear information about any Epi-Pens needed such as how they will deliver the Epi-Pen and whether it is needed back at the end of every camp day.

Campers shall self-administer and carry their EpiPens if the camper is capable of self-administration and the Health Care Consultant and the camper’s parent/caregiver has provided written approval. The Health Care Supervisors and Counselors will be trained in the administration of EPI Pens under the direction of the Health Care Consultant.

Please see this important information from the CDC on meningococcal vaccines for preteens and teens: Vaccine Info

Parents and caregivers have the right to review our discipline and health care policies, background checks, and grievance procedures upon request.