Camp Attaway Summer Program

Camp Attaway is a summer day camp program for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Held in Columbia, Maryland. The camp offers a variety of activities designed to ensure a safe, therapeutic, and most importantly, a FUN day for children.

Activities include: swimming, sports-lite, cooperative games, rock climbing, arts & crafts, and nature.

Target Population

Camp Attaway is a three-week summer day camp for children ages 7-13 with emotional and behavioral disorders maintaining a 2:1 camper to staff ratio at all times. It is a place where children who know failure too well can break out of their negative cycles and learn new skills.

There is a screening process for each camper interested in registering for Camp Attaway. The screening process serves four major purposes:

An opportunity for the parents to share their present concerns about their child’s development in the social, emotional and behavioral areas along with identifying their child’s strengths;
To gather vital developmental and family history of the camper along with reviewing psychological, educational, psychiatric, neuropsychological, speech and occupational evaluation reports, as well as Individual Educational Plans;
For parents to identify goals they would like Camp Attaway to address in working with their child;
For the child to be interviewed by the camp director in helping determine whether Camp Attaway would be a good fit for him/her.

Therapeutic Components

Because we serve a special group of kids, our program is designed to engage our campers with specific therapeutic components giving them different tools and strategies to help them connect with each other and supports their relationships at home, school and everyday life.

Safety-Care Training
Camp staff is trained in Safety-CareTm Behavioral Safety Training, a program that provides the skills and competencies necessary to effectively prevent, minimize, and manage behavioral challenges. Using the newest and most effective technologies from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS), the Safety-Care program provides Attaway staff with strategies for not only preventing and managing behavioral challenges, but also teaches effective replacement behaviors.

Goal Setting
During camp we focus the campers on a different goal each week.
• The first week the goal for the campers is to improve social skills.
• The second week the goal is to improve teamwork skills and self-determination.
• The third week the goal is to practice appropriate coping skills.
Each morning small groups meet (during which counselors meet one-on-one with campers to help them set a personal objective that relates to the overall goal for the week.) and counselors pull campers aside one at a time and help them to set a personalized objective that relates to the overall goal for that week. The objectives are individually tailored from the above categories, identified by parents, staff, and then the campers themselves. Each objective is written in observable measurable terms. At the end of the day when the small group meets together again, the counselors (again meet one-on-one with each camp to evaluate how he/she did on meeting the objective.) will pull each camper aside again to evaluate how he/she did on her objective. Achieving one’s objective is linked to group incentives.

Safety-Care Training
Camp staff is trained in Safety-Care Behavioral Safety Training, a program that provides the skills and competencies necessary to effectively prevent, minimize, and manage behavioral challenges. Using the newest and most effective technologies from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS), the Safety-Care program provides Attaway staff with strategies for not only preventing and managing behavioral challenges, but also teaches effective replacement behaviors.

Counselor in Training - CIT Program

The counselor in training (CIT) program is designed for former Camp Attaway campers, ages 14 and up, who have exhibited strong leadership skills and relatively high levels of social maturity.
• The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for these adolescents to continue to improve their leadership, social and team-building skills; practice professional courtesy and collaboration; effectively set long and short-term goals; and improve their self-esteem and confidence.
• Some of the components include; team building amongst themselves; serving camp by helping with the set-up and break down of activities; and supporting small groups and individual campers.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

Camp Attaway is firmly committed to meeting the needs of children and families regardless of their ability to pay for the program. For families who are able pay the full tuition, the cost is $2,550 for the three-week session; other families may take advantage of our generous scholarship program making it possible for EVERY eligible camper to attend Camp Attaway. Counselors in training (CIT) program’s tuition is $2,000.

Camp 2025- Dates

This summer Camp Attaway will be held in Columbia, MD. Dates for campers will be posted once they have been finalized. Each camp day starts promptly at 9:00am and ends at 3:00pm.

Parents must remember to send your child with a bathing suit & towel (on pool days); closed toe shoes (on climbing days) and lunch for your camper every day. Sunblock must be brought to parent orientation night labeled with your child’s name.

Reminder for Parents:

When held in July, No Camp for July 4th – Independence Day

"I feel my child is in a safe place that can handle his behavior and help him work through feelings. There are few places and people I feel comfortable leaving my son with. Attaway is unique in that way."

Camp Attaway Parent