I would like to share a few things that keep us occupied.
Family Workers listen, encourage, and give weekly reports to parents and families. We engage in phone calls with parents three to four times per session to guide and teach them.
The phone call inquiries are less frequent now, since Camp’s website inquiries have become more common. Following up on those inquiries takes a good bit of time. For parents, having a conversation about their parenting challenges can feel scary and overwhelming. That’s why we sometimes choose a less intimidating approach—sending a text first to schedule a phone call. This gives parents time to prepare for the conversation.
Requesting an application, filling it out, and submitting it can take a lot of courage and sometimes even a bit of desperation. After Camp receives a completed application, it’s time to schedule a visit to the family’s home. This is a big deal type of event!
After the in-home visit, there is usually a waiting period of several months. It’s important for us Family Workers to maintain contact with the family during that time so that when an opening becomes available at Camp, they are ready to move forward. This ongoing communication also helps build mutual trust between Camp and the inquiring family.
Family Workers have the ongoing work of planning home visits, scheduling evaluations, and helping parents learn to “Trust the Process of Camp.” Our goal is to support parents in making clear plans for home visits and learning about healthy, thriving relationships in their families—moving beyond a survival mentality.
We encourage parents to:
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Develop a positive, solution-focused mindset to face and resolve issues and conflict.
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Give unconditional love and acceptance.
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Hold regular family meetings and daily “pow-wows.”
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Define and develop goals for personal growth.
We teach parents and families that taking responsibility for their own words, actions, thoughts, and feelings makes them powerful people who can make thoughtful choices—rather than simply reacting and blaming others.
It’s important to empower parents to maintain a positive view of themselves and the challenges they face. We work hard to equip them with solution-focused problem-solving skills, while also discipling them in many areas such as:
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Respecting others while building healthy relationships.
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Facilitating the rebuilding of family bonds.
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Being intentional about building trust.
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Learning to serve as role models and mentors.
Teaching spiritual values to boys and families helps create positive, life-giving interactions.
“God’s design is for our family to be a place of security and love, not pain and chaos.”
— Chief Amos Schwartz, Family Worker
“The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
— 1 Peter 4:7-8 (NIV)
