CAMP

The idea for Children's Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP) began when a group of Air Force physicians realized how important a camping experience could be to their patients with special needs.  Founded in 1979, CAMP was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1980.  In 1988 CAMP purchased a campground on the Guadalupe River in Center Point, Texas and became accredited by the American Camp Association in 1992.  Today, children and adults with disabilities and special health care needs (the majority from Texas, from across the U.S., and beyond) attend week-long camping sessions held each summer from May through August.  CAMP does its best to ensure that no one is ever turned away based on the severity of their disability or the inability of the family to pay.

CAMP provides a wide range of recreational, educational, and respite services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.  Central to each CAMP program is the provision of medical support.  This ensures that everyone, regardless of the degree of his or her medical needs, will be able to participate in all activities.  CAMPS's goal is to help every individual, no matter what their physical, mental, or emotional disabilities, reach their maximum potential.  All of the activities at CAMP are adapted to accommodate the special needs of each CAMPer, allowing them to be successful in each area.

Although one of our priorities is ensuring each CAMPer enjoys an exceptional camping experience, providing all the  members of the family a week of respite is of equal importance.  By incorporating the non-disabled siblings of our CAMPers into their own camping program, we can provide the parents or other caregivers with a week of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation crucial to maintaining their own physical and mental health. 

An added benefit of CAMP is the impact it has of molding over 300 teen volunteers each summer into the civic-minded leaders of our future.  Many of our volunteer counselors enter health care professions then return to CAMP as volunteer medical staff members.  These young people provide the one-to-one camper-to-counselor ratio that makes CAMP exceptional.

Based on surveys and anecdotal evidence, CAMP makes a significant contribution toward relieving family stress with our programs.  Individuals with severe disabilities have the opportunity to try new things, to develop independence and have fun doing things that their able-bodied peers take for granted.  Because of the medical resources, parents feel confident leaving their children in the care of CAMP.  Through our training and education projects, CAMP has been able to influence positively the quality of health care for individuals with disabilities and their families. 

CAMP offers children and adults with special needs the opportunity to attain goals they never thought possible: it provides a safe, fun-filled outlet for these individual and their siblings; it relieves the parents or other caregivers of their care giving duties for five days; and it gives volunteers the chance to learn and grow, make career decisions and earn continuing education credits.  These attributes make CAMP one of the most fulfilling and unique camps for children with special needs in Texas.