Well... it all starts with a child. To become a part of the foster care system, each child will have most likely been abused, neglected, or abandoned. At Royal Family Kids Camp we provide love, care, support, and encouragement to each and every child. With a 2 to 1 adult-to-child ratio, we know that these children come away from camp knowing they are important to us. Through camp they find out they are a part of a family, no matter what their current home or family situation is like. 

Special bonds are established during the week of Royal Family Kids Camp. These relationships are built upon:

• Trust – the camper and counselor work to build a level a trust from their five days at camp together
• Safety – every counselor and support staff is interviewed, trained, and background checked
• Commitment – each counselor and support staff commit to a week at camp away from their families, friends and lives. Special volunteers commit to hours of prep time, coordinating and setting up our Camp Events such as the Birthday Party and Carnival Night!

Roughly 55% of foster children in the US have had three or more placements. 33% of foster children change elementary schools five or more times, losing relationships and falling behind educationally.

Camp Is FUN!

Camp is a week long event that gives kids the chance to be kids once again. For the majority of children in the Foster Care system, they have many responsibilities, worries, cares and struggles that should never be carried by a child. One of our goals at camp is simply let a child be a child and HAVE FUN! In addition to receiving the attention and encouragement of an adult camp counselor and his/her “buddy camper,” each camper is also exposed to a variety of activities, designed for their success and to build self-esteem.

Activity centers, games, sports, hiking, swimming, fishing and horseback riding are all part of the program, depending on the schedule of the local camp. For most of these children, it’s the best week of the year – a special time when they can focus on having fun and enjoy being a kid.

Camp Is SAFE!

Faith Evangelical Church in Sumner, IA is the Sponsor Church for Royal Family KIDS Camp Northeast Iowa. Churches must meet strict criteria and be well-established and respected in the community. Additionally, several strict and important measures are taken to ensure the camps are safe for the children.

Camp administrators and counselors go through intensive training, including a study of the dynamics of child abuse and neglect, using recognized professionals in the field as faculty. There is also an intensive screening process for counselors and staff. Two children – and only two – are assigned to each camp counselor. In addition, there is generally a “back-up” staff person for each counselor, so the actual staff-to-camper ratio is often one to one.

There are strict policies for behavior of campers, counselors and staff which assure that there is never an opportunity for an unsafe or questionable situation. The camp site itself has been especially selected to provide a safe, fun place for the camp experience. The food is even great!