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2023 Season Announcement 

Due to a lack of vital financial resources, North Star Reach has made the difficult decision to suspend in-person camp program in 2023 while the organization focuses on restructuring and improving fundraising to drive long-term success. Please read the full announcement here and see details below for alternate program opportunities for our camper families.

A New Way to Connect to SeriousFun in 2023

We are excited to share a new way for North Star Reach camper families to connect with SeriousFun in 2023, thanks to our amazing friends at Flying Horse Farms. During our on-site programming pause in 2023, FHF–our sister SeriousFun Children’s Network camp–would like to invite our community of campers and camper families to join them at their camp, just three hours away from Pinckney in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. To learn more about FHF family weekend programs and apply today, visit our blog.

Below you will find information about North Star Reach’s Traditional Family Camp Weekends, currently on pause in 2023.

A Look at Traditional Family Camp Weekends 

Aside from the fun, our Family Camp programs are designed to build relationships with and receive support from other families who understand what it means to raise children with serious health challenges.

The video below highlights family experiences during a Traditional Family Camp Weekend. Please note that these are different from the 2022 “Campily Retreats,” which ensure COVID-19 precautions, including separate cabin housing for each family and appropriate social distancing around camp and during activities.

During our traditional Family Camps, we offer many activities similar to our summer camp programs, such as boating, arts and crafts, archery, evening campfires, morning hikes, and more. We purposefully plan these activities so that families can spend time together.

Our traditional Family Camp programs are entirely free of charge and all “General Sessions” are open to families with a child who has any serious medical diagnosis. In addition, the medical diagnosis associated with each session places a focus on specific medical populations, allowing families to connect with others on a similar medical journey. To be eligible, the child who has a serious health challenge must  be 17 years old or younger–including infants. Families are eligible to attend one Family Camp per year. We welcome immediate family members who reside in the household caring for the child with the medical diagnosis.

Things to Know About Our Traditional Family Camp Weekends

If you have questions about our Family Camp sessions, you can email campers@northstarreach.org for assistance.

Note: Please visit Camper FAQs page to find out more about the key issues that informed our 2022 onsite schedule, camper eligibility details, COVID-19 precaution requirements, and how programs will be adapted to ensure a safe and fun camp experience for everyone. The FAQs below apply to our Traditional Family Weekend programs during times when we do not have to ensure COVID-19 precautions.

Housing

For our family camp sessions, campers remain under the care of their parents or other legal guardian. During non-COVID-19 times, two families often share a cabin with two bathrooms (2 toilets, 2 sinks and 2 fully accessible showers in each). (During our 2022 Campily Retreats, each family will be housed in their own cabin.) Our cabins are purposefully built to house 16 people, so plenty of room for two or more families to share for a weekend. Each cabin has heating, air conditioning, electrical outlets and bunk-style beds.

Activity Level

The distance from the cabins to our waterfront is approximately a half mile. Participants should be aware on an average Saturday at Family Camp families may walk up to three miles going from cabin to meals to activities.

Immunizations

At North Star Reach, we strive in every way to create the safest environment possible for children with medically complex conditions and their families.  As such, we uphold the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on immunization schedule.

  • We require participants under the age of 18 to be fully immunized, with the exception of Influenza and HPV vaccines, unless there is a physician’s note submitted describing the reason for requesting an exception, which our medical team will review and consider as part of the application process. .
  • We require participants over the age of 18 to have been vaccinated for chicken pox (varicella), measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), and tetanus and pertussis (Tdap).

When you log into our online application system (UltraCamp website), the form will have all the details of what immunization dates are needed.

Processing Your Application

After submitting your family’s application, your forms will be reviewed for completion. You will be contacted at a later date if information is needed to complete your application. Once all members’ applications are complete they will be reviewed by our review team and you will be notified of your enrollment status. Enrollment is based on completion date: first completed, first reserved.

Waitlist

Unfortunately, North Star Reach may not be able to accommodate all who apply to camp. While we would love to be able to welcome everyone, we do have a limit to the available accommodations for families so first completed, first reserved. If a session is already full and you apply, you will be notified you have been placed on a waiting list. If a reservation becomes available you will be notified.

Keep in mind that an application must be complete before it is reviewed by our review team.