A young girl and her parents are not happy campers after being told to hit the trail.
Karen Campbell was left scrambling to find care for her six-year-old daughter, Trinity Barker, this summer after she said the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka contacted her only five days before Trinity was set to start camp, and told Campbell that Trinity wouldn’t be welcome due to her medical needs.
Trinity lives with Noonan syndrome, which is caused by a genetic mutation and requires her to have a feeding tube and can sometimes cause her to require assistance using the bathroom — all of which was detailed in the medical form Campbell said she submitted as part of the registration package last March.
“Why are you making people register in March if you’re not going to review their registration until five days before they’re supposed to show up?” she said, adding the camp called to decline Trinity’s registration on July 5 for the YMCA summer day camp that was set to begin at W.H. Day Elementary School July 10.
Campbell explained that camp staff would not need to use the feeding tube, and Trinity would only occasionally require assistance when using the bathroom.
“These are young children. It’s not out of the norm that a child would have an accident while outside of the home and they would need to be cleaned up,” she said.
Campbell said she spoke to a representative at the YMCA who told her the camp does have staff who can assist if children have an accident, but couldn’t explain why Trinity couldn’t be helped.
Gord Dunlop, general manager of camping and outdoor education at the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, said the organization wouldn’t comment on the details of Trinity’s situation “out of deep respect for this child and the family’s privacy,” but he was able to provide some details about the camp.
“While our summer camp staff are trained and highly dedicated, they do not have the specialized training required for certain specific tasks such as toileting, handling feeding tubes, or administering injectable medication. We are also unable to accommodate personal care,” he said.
This led to some confusion, as Campbell had enrolled Trinity in one of the YMCA’s camps last year held at the same location and had also required providing the same medical information.
“Her medical condition hasn’t changed from last year to this year. ...We had a good experience last year, so why wouldn’t we go back this year? We won’t go back to them at this point,” she said.
Dunlop clarified that the summer day camp was not held at the school last year, but the summer kids club was.
Unlike the day camp, which is intended for children aged six to 12, the kids club is intended for children aged four to five and offers more supports for children with additional needs.
“In that program, we are able to partner with CLH Developmental Support Services to provide quality inclusive support services. Through this partnership, we aim to ensure the seamless inclusion of children with unique health, safety, and/or mobility needs. The support service provides additional funding for inclusion support staffing, specialized equipment, and comprehensive training for our child care staff,” he said, adding that there are no exceptions to the age groups.
Trinity’s father, Ryan Barker, felt the lack of inclusivity for children six or older with special needs felt dismissive on the part of the YMCA.
“That’s the message: ‘We can’t handle you. Sorry. Go somewhere else.’ OK. That seems a little silly for the YMCA,” he said.
Campbell was still left wondering why it took so long for staff to determine Trinity wasn’t eligible for the camp, and while the YMCA wouldn’t disclose the specifics, Dunlop did explain the general process for registration.
“YMCA day camp programs are available on a first-come first-served basis, and once a parent/guardian submits the registration form, their child is then registered for day camp. It is noted in the instructions provided to parents/guardians that YMCA Day camps are unable to accommodate personal care,” he said.
Dunlop explained that parents and guardians of children with special needs are instructed to register for the inclusion support program, intended to assist with developmental, physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioural needs.
Despite the program's availability, it is unlikely to have helped Trinity as an FAQ on the YMCA’s website addressing inclusion support states, “Please note we do not offer personal care and campers should be able to use the toilet by themselves and dress and change themselves independently.”
About five days after the cancellation, Campbell said the YMCA issued the family a refund and about another five days later, an apology.
While both parents appreciated the gesture, Campbell said it’s less about the money and more about the issue of accessibility.
“Really, a big company like the YMCA should be helping break down those barriers and not being part of the problem,” she said.
In the wake of such a last-minute cancellation, the family had to find a patchwork of other accommodations for Trinity, including a home daycare, her grandmother and another daycare.
“We’re really lucky that we have a support network that Karen’s built up. Not everybody else is going to have that option. What if our old daycare was full and they couldn’t accept her, then what would we have done?” Ryan said.
When asked what advice they have for other parents of children with special needs looking to register for summer camp, Campbell recommended double checking to make sure the registration hasn’t just been accepted, but has also been reviewed and staff understand the child’s needs.
“Start early, ask questions, make sure that they understand what the needs are, and good luck, because there are not a lot of places around that are able to accept a child that has some needs. And I say some, because they’re not big needs. She needs help going to the bathroom sometimes, not all the time. That’s not a big deal, but the local YMCA can’t even handle that. Imagine if you had a kid with more needs,” Ryan added.
While the YMCA reiterated that they wouldn’t comment on Trinity’s specific situation, Dunlop explained some of the efforts that go into making camps more accessible.
Beyond the inclusion support program, Dunlop said all staff members are trained for at least one week and receive ongoing coaching from their camp co-ordinator.
“At the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, we deeply value the well-being of all our camp participants, and we strive to ensure that every camper receives the support they require to have a meaningful and enjoyable experience,” he said.
While there were some challenges in hiring staff last year, Dunlop said the 2023 summer season is fully staffed, with nearly 120 members across 10 day camps throughout Simcoe, Muskoka and Parry Sound.