Frequently Asked Questions

During the registration process, all families are asked to pay the deposit and if you want to apply for financial aid, please select “Yes” to the relevant registration question. Several additional questions will then be available to answer. We will be awarding financial aid on a rolling basis and aim to have all requests reviewed within two month of opening registration. If we are unable to award financial aid, we will refund your deposit in full. If you have questions or extenuating circumstances, please reach to us via email at info@campquestchesapeake.org.

Waitlisted campers will not be asked to pay anything up front and can apply for financial aid as part of the process. As noted above, all campers are asked to pay a portion of the camp costs. The camp registrar will process the waitlist as soon as is possible after any scholarship decisions are made and notify families in order of their application as spots are available.

Our campsite is located in Harford County, Maryland. You will receive the exact address, driving directions, and a map via email in the months preceding camp.

Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to transport campers to and from the airport. You may wish to coordinate with other campers for shared rides to and from camp or other travel.

In general, we discourage parents from contacting their children during the camp session as doing so greatly increases the chances that a child will feel homesick during the week. Many campers do like to receive letters from home (we can deliver pre-written or those sent to the camp mailbox, but prefer pre-written for easy planning).

However, if you do need to reach your child during camp you can do so by contacting the Camp Director by email (info@campquestchesapeake.org) at any time. Please note that campers are not permitted to have personal cell phones with them while at camp.

Camp Quest Chesapeake will have a Registered Nurse on staff 24/7 during the camp session. We also have written Emergency Procedures and a set of Rational Rules for Living that set expectations for behavior at camp. One of the most important of these rules is to treat all people, of all beliefs and backgrounds, with respect. We also strictly enforce a “Rule of Three,” which mandates that if a camper is going to be out of sight of the larger group, the camper must be accompanied by at least two other people (and at least one of these must be a staff person). There are a few other common sense rules, but these two are probably the most important in terms of ensuring everyone’s safety and well-being.

There’s a place on our registration form for parents to indicate that this will be their child’s first time at camp. Almost all kids adjust to camp very quickly, even if it’s a new experience for them. Your child will be immersed in a variety of activities, surrounded by new friends, and encouraged by an enthusiastic and caring group of adults from the moment s/he arrives at camp. If you have particular concerns about how your child will adjust to being at camp though, just let us know. We’re happy to work with you to make sure we’re in the best possible position to give every kid an enjoyable camp experience.

Our cabin counselors and leadership staff are volunteers with a wide variety of backgrounds. In reviewing staff applications, we look specifically for people who have experience with and/or enthusiasm for working with kids, and background checks are run on all counselors, every year. We also require each potential staff member to provide three references, whom we contact to verify the applicant’s suitability for working with children.

Yes! We do criminal background checks on all staff (new and returning) every year. We also run a check of all staff members against the Sex Offender Registry.

Absolutely! Please send us an e-mail at info@campquestchesapeake.org indicating that you’d like to contact some past campers or parents.

In general, we try to draw staff from outside of our parent group. Camp is an opportunity for kids to express and explore their independent identities in a supportive new community. We’ve found that campers are much freer to do this if a parent is not there with them. Our staff is trained to provide guidance and boundaries that allow kids to challenge themselves while staying safe. That said, parents may still fill out a staff application and we will consider all applicants.

The $200 deposit is non-refundable (excepting financial aid requests). All remaining payments are refundable if we receive your request for a refund on or before June 14. After that date, we need to make final payments to various vendors and will no longer be able to issue refunds if a camper cannot attend.