“Ari, Lynsey, Laura, and the staff do a wonderful job. They truly care about the kids, they look out for them in every aspect. I have total confidence when my son is gone for seven weeks that not only is he going to be safe, not only is he going to learn, but he’s going to have a great time too.”
Ari, Laura and I fully understand the trust that is placed us when parents entrust their children to our special needs summer programs. At Camp Lee Mar everything we do is done with the safety and protection of our campers in mind. We appreciate all of our parent’s concerns and make ourselves available to help ease any fears or concerns for our new and returning campers and their families may have – How can I be sure my child is ready? Will they be safe? What about showering and daily living skills? Will they be able to voice their wants and needs with new people?
We understand that our parents need the peace of mind that we have hired the most caring, professional staff for our special needs summer programs. Staff that have experience and will be fully trained during our staff orientation week. In addition to this we do background checks on all of our staff, both domestic and international, and we check all staff references.
With the implementation of PA Act 153 of 2014 and PA Act 15 of 2015, all camp staff members complete a series of child protection clearances prior to beginning their summer at Camp Lee Mar. Many of our staff already have these clearances in place, having started placements in schools and therapeutic environments during their college, undergrad, or post grad.
Our staff complete the following three clearances:
-Report of criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police
-Child Abuse History Clearance from the Department of Human Services
-Fingerprint-based FBI criminal history clearance submitted through the Department of Human Services
We treat every camper at camp as if they were our own children, many parents have told us that Camp Lee Mar is one of the few places that parents know their child is safe and having fun.
“Each summer at Camp Lee Mar has brought greater skills and self-organization and a growing belief in his independence. He has proven to us that with the right kind of support, he can and will find his place in this world and he will thrive. The way Ari and all the staff have created a fun, safe place for him to grow while giving our family a chance to rest, refresh, and renew, we are so very grateful.”
Written by Lynsey Trohoske
My name is Lynsey Trohoske, I am the assistant director at Camp Lee Mar. I have three amazing children, my middle child happens to be on the autism spectrum and is a camper at Lee Mar. I joined camp as a counselor in 1998 and loved the campers and their families so much that Camp Lee Mar became my second home!
