The Children's Place

Kamp is a six day, five night, overnight camping experience at YMCA Camp Loma Mar in the Santa Cruz mountains in Northern California south of San Francisco and east of Pescadero.Each year approximately 30 children, ages 8-11, who have participated in The Children’s Place program, can put aside the stress and concerns of growing up in a chemically dependent family and attend Kid’s Kamp.

Kamp is staffed by a Clinical Director, MFT interns/ trainees, and trained volunteers. At Kamp children find a safe nurturing environment where they can simply be kids and have fun!!

Each day the children participate in educational support groups focusing on topics identified in the Children’s Place Curriculum: Identification of Feelings, Expression of Feelings, Communication, Defenses, Addiction, Problem-Solving, Decision Making, Staying Safe, and One’s Uniqueness. In addition Kamp offers a wide range of activities such as swimming, hiking, arts and crafts projects, story telling, roasting marshmallows, volleyball and archery.

Kamp is a time of genuine caring. It is a time of finding a safe place to share with old friends and to make new ones. It is a time to play Ga Ga Ga, i.e. Dodge Ball, or Red Rover Red Rover. It is a time to laugh when your friend tells a dumb joke or a time to cry when someone in group shares something painful. It is also a time to learn, to grow, to trust and to heal. During this process the children build upon their strengths, deepen their resilience, and further their intrinsic beauty and worth.