· Once you have identified the camp, find out whether it is accredited by the American Camp Association, which indicates that it complies with mandatory standards in health, safety and program quality.
· Obtain references from parents of food-allergic kids to understand how the camp handles things from a preventive and medical perspective.
· Ask if food accommodations are allowed, such as shipping up safe foods.
· Select a camp with a low camper-to-camp counselor ratio, to help ensure that your child would get immediate attention, if necessary.
· If the camp has an open house session, stop by for a visit to observe how the camp operates.
· Meet with the camp director or senior staff member to discuss how food allergies are managed and to get your questions answered. Find out how many counselors are trained in first aid and CPR, and whether they have any experience with campers who have food allergies.
· Find out who is the medical person in charge? Is there a camp physician in residence? A nurse?
· Where will the epinephrine and other medications be stored and how available will they be?
· If your child will be staying for meals, make an appointment to meet with the camp’s cook to review menu items and ingredients.
· Take note of where the nearest hospital is located, and the expected response time for an ambulance to arrive onsite if called.
· Go over your child’s Food Allergy Action Plan with camp staff to ensure they understand symptoms and what action to take if a reaction occurs.
· If your child is attending a teen program, be vigilant about food allergy policies and discuss with your child ahead of time since independence is expected.