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Ord 19-2023 Adoption of Standards of Care for Summer Day Camp Program 05/02/2023 Ordinance No. 19-2023 Ordinance to adopt established minimum Standards of Care for the Summer Day Camp Program WHEREAS, the City's Parks and Recreation Department has determined that certain minimum standards of care are necessary to health, safety, and welfare of individuals participating in the Summer Day Camp Program and, WHEREAS, the State of Texas Human Resources Code Chapter 42 exempts certain after - school and summer recreation programs from state licensing requirements as identified in Subsection 42.041(b)(14) stating "an elementary-age (ages 5-13) recreation program operated by a municipality provided the governing body of the municipality annually adopts standards of care by ordinance after a public hearing for such programs, that such standards are provided to the parents of each program participant, and that the ordinances shall include, at a minimum, staffing ratios, minimum staff qualifications, minimum facility, health, and safety standards, and mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing the adopted local standards; and further provided that parents be informed that the program is not licensed by the state and the program may not be advertised as a child-care facility;" WHEREAS, the City Council, at a meeting on May 2, 2023, held a public hearing prior to adopting this ordinance regarding established Standards of Care for the Summer Day Camp Program. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT: The attached minimum standards of care for the City's summer camp program are hereby adopted by the City of Wichita Falls. PASSED AND APPROVED this the 2nd day of May 2023. :rte.., ews;aa.......„ MAYOR ATTEST: awn City Clerk 0 Standards of Care for Summer Day Camp Program. Definitions. A. "Camp Program Staff" means a person responsible for the direct care or supervision of participants, including volunteers and contractors. The term excludes a person whose primary duties include administration, clerical support, or facility maintenance. B. "Department" means the Parks and Recreation Department. C. "Administrator" means an administrator of the Parks and Recreation Department. D. "Designee" means a person appointed by the administrator to act on the administrator's behalf. E. "Facility" means a building or improvement operated or used by the department in conducting a recreational program. F. "Participant" means a child age 5 to 13 years old that is enrolled in a recreational program and is under the supervision of department staff. G. "Recreational Program or Program" means a fee-based children's program or activity offered and supervised by the department that requires a participant to enroll or register to participate. H. "Staff" means a person who is employed by the department to work in a recreational program. I. "Parent" means a legal guardian of a participant. Purpose. The Standards of Care set forth in this chapter are intended to be the minimum standards by which the City of Wichita Falls Parks and Recreation Department will operate its Summer Day Camp program which is recreational in nature and not designated as a child care program. Pursuant to section 42.041(b)(14) of the Texas Human Resource Code, adoption of these Standards of Care will allow the City to qualify as being exempt from the state licensing requirements of the Texas Human Resource Code. Participant and Camp Program Staff Ratios. A. Camp programs shall have no greater than a 12/ 1 ratio of participant to camp program staff for children 5-13 years of age. B. Each participant should have a program employee who is responsible for him or her and who is aware of details of the participant's habits, interests, and any special problem. Minimum Camp Program Staff Qualifications. A. Camp program staff must be at least 16 years of age. B. At least 50% of camp program staff must possess certification from a nationally recognized body in First Aid; and Community CPR or equivalent. C. Camp program staff must complete a camp program staff orientation including but not limited to: 1. An overview of the City of Wichita Falls Standards of Care; and 2. Policies including discipline, guidance, and the release of participants; and 3. An overview of symptoms of child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse and the responsibility of reporting these; and 4.The procedures to follow in handling emergencies including but are not limited to:fire, explosion, tornado, toxic fumes, volatile persons, and severe injury or illness of a child or adult; and the use and locations of fire extinguishers and first aid equipment. Employment Restrictions. A. Criminal background checks will be conducted on prospective camp program staff. Criminal background checks shall conform with the policies and procedures of the City of Wichita Falls Human Resources Department. Minimum Building Standards. A. The facility and equipment used do not present any known fire, health, or safety hazards and are kept free of accumulations of objectionable debris. B. The facility shall be subject to an annual safety inspection. C. The facility shall reasonably be kept free of insects, rodents, and stray animals. D. Facility buildings shall maintain clearly marked emergency exits. E. A disaster and evacuation procedure shall be posted at the facility. F. First-aid kits and infection control kits shall be available at the facility and taken to other locations at which the participants are engaged in program activities. G. First-aid guidelines shall be on file and available at the facility. H. The facility shall have a sufficient number of restrooms maintained in good repair and equipped for independent use by children and designed to permit staff supervision as needed. Minimum Health and Safety Standards. A.A participant who is ill or injured shall be supervised until the participant is released to a parent or other authorized person. B. A participant whose illness or medical condition requires a degree of supervision by staff that would compromise the health or safety of the other participants shall be kept separate from the other participants until the participant is removed from the facility. C. A participant whose illness or medical condition prevents the participant from comfortably participating in program activities or places other participants at risk may not be admitted or readmitted to the facility for the duration of the illness or condition. D. A staff member will not administer medication to a participant. Parents are highly encouraged to come to the camp and administer medication by pre-arranging with the Camp Supervisor. E. Parents must complete a medication administration form with the Camp Supervisor. F. A staff member shall maintain a medication and first aid log. Mechanisms for Monitoring and Enforcing Standards. The administrator or designee shall monitor the camp programs for performance. Compliance with these standards will be a factor in rating the performance of the youth program. Review. This Chapter will expire one year after its effective date. Recommendation for Amendment or Re -Adoption. No later than May 1st of each year the administrator or designee shall recommend to the City Council adoption of the local standards of care.