Camps for foster care children slated for summer

Members of the Area 4 C Camp Organization are about to get another camping season underway for the children in foster care in the seven county area comprised of Barton, Bates, Cedar, Dade, Henry, St. Clair and Vernon counties.

Juvenile Officers and Children's Division workers from the 27th and 28th Circuit Courts donate their time and effort to plan, raise funds, provide and staff two separate camps for the children each year, according to a press release from the organization.

The first of the two camps is a day camp for children aged kindergarten through 12 years. This camp will be held in mid-July at the Vernon County fairgrounds and there will be swimming, crafts, a barbecue, snacks and educational activities for the children to enjoy.

The other camp is three day two night experience for kids aged 13 to 17 and will take place in August, "which enables more kids to go," said Lisa Abbott of the 28th Circuit Juvenile Office in Nevada. The event will be held at Kamp Keirsey, which is a 22.6 acre site situated between Passaic and Amsterdam in Bates County.

This experience benefits the children and the staff members in that it "lets the children spend three days with other kids in foster care," said Abbott. That is a big benefit because it "offers many of these children the opportunity to build relationships and to share with other children who are in foster care, life experiences which only they can understand," according to the press release.

And because the workers staff the camps "they are better able to provide appropriate services to these children."

It benefits the staff members as well by "giving them a chance to get to know the children outside the professional level," Abbott said. They have fun with the kids because the participate in all of the activities. "We don't ask the kids to do anything that we won't do," she said.

Both camps are entirely funded through donations, and according to the release. the public is invited to sponsor the camps. donations provide food, life guards, camp fees and T-shirts and are "a chance to invest in the life of the future adults/leaders of your community," according to the press release.

Anyone can donate and there is no set amount to give. the Area 4 C Camp does have "some faithful groups that donate a good chunk," and the group is thankful for that, but they still need all the community support they can get.

Anyone wishing to do so may send a donation for the Area 4 C Camp to the 28th Circuit Juvenile Office, 100 W. Cherry Street, Suite 9, Nevada Mo. 64772 or call (417) 667-5015 for more information.