"Moms" and "Dads" at Maine Camps

With Mother’s Day coming and Father’s Day soon after, we at Maine Camp Experience are thinking about how camp directors and staff fill the role of “mothers” and “fathers” at camp. It’s not to say they take the place of campers’ parents, but to say that directors and staff work in tandem with parents and serve in loco parentis while the children are in their care at camp.

Maine Camp directors are extremely capable. They have many years of experience and expertise running camp, and many have also worked at schools as educators and/or counselors, and raised their own children, too. They are leaders, mentors, role models, listeners, and so much more. Camp directors are responsible for the social, physical, and emotional well-being of campers and they take that responsibility very seriously. Providing meaningful youth development, safety, and fun are integral to who they are and what they do. They are involved from sunrise to way past sunset and have a pulse of everything that’s going on. They have the strong foundation and experience of taking care of campers, and are consistently learning, updating, and honing their knowledge and role. They also hire and train staff who inspire and encourage campers be their best selves.

The second part of having directors successfully serve in loco parentis is trust. Parents trust themselves that they’ve chosen the right camp for the child/ren, and they trust that directors will care for their kids. They choose directors with values that align with their beliefs and who will create an environment where their kids will learn, grow, and thrive. Directors have the campers’ best interest at heart. They create opportunities for campers to learn, grow, and have fun. They’ll encourage campers to learn new skills like trying a new sport or joining the play, and they help campers build life skills like resilience, teamwork, independence, sportsmanship, and confidence. 

Parents will often find that their families stay connected with directors for many years beyond the camper summers. Directors come to know campers very well over several years; they know what the campers are capable of achieving and they care very much about their campers. From getting into college, to launching careers, and starting families, directors cheer for campers’ successes.

So, as we get ready to wish all the moms and dads a Happy Mother’s and Father’s Day, we also send our thanks and love to our Maine Camp directors who play a role in raising our kids.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.  

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.