Get Ready!

Health & Safety Policy

Transportation

Our participants visit amazing places that sometimes require transportation. Guardians will be informed of these travel locations before their program. Trips may include adventure day locations, trails, campgrounds, parks, and sometimes locations out-of-state in our 15-passenger vans.

All van drivers are 20 years of age or older and have a minimum of 4 years of licensed driving experience, a clean record, and go through four hours of 15-passenger van driving training. We follow Colorado Car Seat Safety Laws and require children seven years old and under to sit on KSS-provided booster seats. Vans will never transport a number of people that will exceed the capacity specified by the manufacturer and children will always be supervised by an approved adult who is not actively driving. In the event of an emergency, KSS staff will refer to our Risk Management & Emergency Response Plan to determine the course of action. Our vans are also inspected daily to guarantee all passengers and drivers safety.

Please visit our website if you are looking for additional transportation services, if your participant is flying to Colorado, or if you are looking for transportation from locations within Colorado.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures

Authorized Persons for Pick-Up

At the end of the day or session, participants will be waiting at the pick-up area (location dependent on the program). Guardians will be asked for their unique PIN that is attached to their profile to confirm they are a guardian or authorized pick-up for the participant. If you would like to designate someone else to pick up your child, please be sure to add them to your authorized pick-up list in your account or call our Office to add them at (970)468-2098. They will be assigned a unique PIN and will be asked for it at the time of pick-up. Should you or an authorized pickup not have their PIN, they will be required to present a valid form of ID.

Some of our programs have the option for participants to check out from programming on their own. If guardians would like their participants to be able to sign themselves out without an adult, please contact our Office to check if this option is available for the program your child is participating in. In case it is, guardians must authorize it in their Online KSS Account under “Authorized Pickups.” Participants must check out with KSS staff before leaving.

Early or Late Drop-Off

Participants should not arrive earlier than the designated drop-off time for their program. An additional fee may be assessed for all drop-offs before the designated time. Participants arriving more than half an hour late may be turned away if their group has already left campus. For more details, please visit Get Ready for Camp and look at Drop-Off and Pick-Up.

Early or Late Pick-Up

Please be on time to pick up your participant. Any early pick-ups must be communicated at least 24 hours in advance to our Office and will be treated on a case-by-case basis. Late pick-ups may result in additional charges and possible exclusion from programming. For more details, please visit our website. If you need to pick up your camper earlier, you will be running late, or have any trouble finding us, please call our Office at (970)468-2098.

In the event that a child is not picked up within 30 minutes of the pick-up time, and KSS staff are not able to contact the guardians and/or emergency contacts, KSS staff will notify their supervisor and call local authorities to take over.

Health Screening

Upon arrival, depending on the program, your child will undergo a short health screening. We do this to ensure the overall health of our community. This process ensures your participant, and others leave KSS programs as healthy as they came. KSS staff will monitor participants’ health throughout programming. Any illness or condition that jeopardizes the health of the KSS community may result in exclusion from programming. Please refer to the section below, “Health Exclusion from Programming” to learn more.

Sunscreen and Bug Spray

Participants need to bring sunscreen labeled with their first and last names. It is encouraged that they carry it in their day packs as they will need to reapply throughout the day. KSS Staff will supervise children applying sunscreen on their own. Written authorization and instructions from guardians will be required in order for KSS staff to assist directly in the application of sunscreen. 

If the packing list from the program your camper is attending lists bug spray, please follow the above instructions for sunscreen as this will also apply to bug spray. 

Medical Forms

Please fill out all the medical forms completely, have them signed, and upload them to your online account promptly. These forms include the KSS Medical History Forms and  Immunization Record. For all overnight programs, a Physician’s Report will also be available in your online dashboard and a completed form is required to participate. If applicable, an allergy, seizure, asthma, diabetes care, or action plan will be available in your online dashboard and required. If your participant will need to take any medicine (prescribed or over-the-counter), supplement, or vitamin while programming a medication administration permission form will need to be completed for each. Remember, the more information you can provide us, the better we will be prepared to give the best experience to your camper during programming.

Medications and Supplements

Participants taking vitamins, supplements, over-the-counter or prescription medications,  must provide medications with  Medication Administration Permission Forms to KSS staff prior to the start of the program. Participants will not be allowed to bring any medication (including vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter medication) that does not have an associated Medication Administration Permission Form signed by a licensed physician or healthcare provider. 

For emergency medications such as an EpiPen or albuterol inhaler, guardians are required to provide the applicable care or action plan in lieu of a medication administration permission form. 

For all programs, If your participant self-carries an emergency medication such as an inhaler or epinephrine, it must be documented on the Action/Care Plan Forms and signed by a licensed physician or healthcare provider. Participants and guardians should inform KSS staff of where they keep their emergency medicine.

We have specific staff who have completed medication administration training and have been delegated by our healthcare consultant to administer medication. You will have a chance to speak with them as part of the check-in process. Medications will be kept in a secure place and returned at the end of camp.

How do I pack my Medications?

All medication must be in the original prescription or over-the-counter container. Medication not in the original container or expired will not be accepted.

Please bring the exact amount of medication needed for the program. You will be asked to count out what is needed. Do not provide extra. Our nurse or leadership staff will help with this at drop-off.

During the check-in process, guardians will turn the medication in to the Camp Nurse or other leadership staff.

Do not pack medication in the child’s luggage. Have it out and ready at check-in.

This includes over-the-counter medicine, prescription medicine, vitamins, homeopathic remedies, and/or herbal medications.

Participant Mental Health

KSS considers the mental health and emotional safety of participants equal to their physical safety. KSS strives to create safe mental health experiences through positive relationships, open communication, clear boundaries and respect for personal space, and creative programming that responds to participant needs. Understanding the source of a child’s distress is helpful and we strive to understand each individual’s experience. For KSS staff to be prepared with the best resources, it is important that guardians fully disclose all information about their participant’s mental health before programming. This can help set up both KSS staff and the participant for a more successful and positive experience during programming. Please contact our Office at (970)468-2098 if you would like to give more information or details that you believe might be helpful after filling out the medical and health forms in your KSS Online Account.

KSS staff members are not trained mental health professionals and thus should not assume that they can fully manage mental health emergencies. Staff are encouraged to seek support from Program Managers and local mental health services. In the case of a severe mental health incident, guardians will be notified after staff have ensured a safe environment for your participant.

Participant Injury or Illness

Our number one concern is to ensure the health and safety of each participant. KSS staff is Basic First Aid and CPR/AED certified at a minimum. Additionally, many of our staff hold a current Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification. For summer camps, we have a Camp Nurse on-site or a healthcare consultant, and our staff is required to carry first aid kits at all times.

In the event of injury or illness, our KSS staff will provide care according to their medical training. In the case of severe injury or illness, emergency medical services or higher medical care may be contacted. In some cases, emergency transportation and evacuation may occur by emergency transportation vehicles or KSS vehicles. Several medical clinics are located within 15 minutes of KSS. In the event of injury or illness, we will call guardians or designated emergency contacts.

Insurance and cost for treatment arising out of an accident or injury during programming is the responsibility of the participant’s guardian. Guardians will be asked to provide KSS with proof of insurance on the KSS medical form. If you have any questions, please call our Office at (970)468-2098.

Special Medical Needs and 1:1 Care Needed for Participants

If your participant requires one-to-one care or has special medical needs where guardians need to be in proximity to the participant, please call our Office at (970)486-2098 to discuss what programming might look like for your participant and if we are able to accommodate your participant’s needs.

Health Exclusion from Programming

If a child develops or shows any symptoms of illness before or during camp, KSS staff will use Colorado’s Guideline “How Sick is Too Sick?” to determine if the participant can be in the program. 

Prior to the start of programming, it is best to observe participants for illness at least 7 days before the start of the session. If your camper develops or shows any symptoms of illness from this list, please refer to Colorado’s Guideline “How Sick is Too Sick?” to determine if the participant should skip camp. 

• Severe or new cough
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms
• Vomiting
• Has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been in contact with someone that has
• Has been diagnosed with an Illness by a healthcare provider

If your child needs to stay home according to Colorado’s Guideline “How Sick is Too Sick” or your healthcare provider’s recommendations for any other health concern, please call our Office at (970) 468-2098 to inform us about your camper’s absence and know about the next steps. 

If a participant feels unwell during programming, the individual will be monitored and may be separated from the group. Trained KSS staff will use available diagnostic tools to determine the cause. Staff will give the participant some time to rest and allow symptoms to subside. If symptoms persist or worsen, KSS staff will communicate with guardians and ask for the child to be picked up for one of the following reasons:

Symptoms prevent the camper from participating and enjoying the program.

Our staff cannot provide the proper care for the participant while still caring for other participants

The participant needs to be sent home according to Colorado’s Guideline “How Sick is Too Sick”.

KSS staff will utilize a sick kit and designate a space for the child to be supervised and isolated from others while they wait for their guardians.

If your child cannot attend or is excluded from programming due to health reasons, please contact our Office at (970) 468-2098 for next steps.  

Regarding Supervision of Participants

Participants will be supervised by KSS staff at all times. KSS staff will be able to be contacted by cell phone while in cell service. KSS staff will carry satellite messaging devices when they are traveling to areas with no cell phone coverage.

Attendance, emergency contact, group assignment, and field day location information for each program will be accessible by administrative staff. It is the responsibility of each program area to ensure that the participant’s information is current.

Regarding Participant Separation from the Group

Continuous supervision and participant count by staff will prevent the ‘loss’ of a child. In the event a child does become lost, procedures outlined in the Risk Management & Emergency Response Plan will be implemented, including a multi-tiered search.

Policy Regarding Inclement Weather

Colorado’s weather and air quality tend to change rapidly. KSS staff are expected to know the weather and air quality forecast each day, plan accordingly, and conduct activities provided there is no danger for our staff and for the participants’ health. 

In the event that KSS decides to cancel programming caused by inclement weather, guardians will be contacted by our staff as soon as possible.

Policy Regarding Emergency Pickup Locations

In the event of an emergency requiring the evacuation of participants from the Keystone Science School campus and other locations, centralized guardian pickup locations will be identified and communicated to guardians via direct communication when possible or via our website if direct communication is not possible.