All About Camps & Retreats

Last Updated on October 21, 2024

This winter may be dragging on and on for many of us, but summer is just around the corner! A fun past-time for many children and young adults is summer camp – a few weeks away from home, cooking over a camp-fire, s’mores and sing-a-longs. Many children with specific diagnoses, however, are unable to go to camp with their peers; their condition keeps them from going to summer camp. This can be very upsetting, telling a child they cannot participate along with their peers due to a medical condition. Luckily, however, there are now many camps and retreats specifically designed for people with certain diagnoses.

Who Do They Serve?

Every camp listed on the NeedyMeds site is different – serving different people based on their medical condition. In general the camps are designed for children and young adults with a specific diagnosis. There are also many camps available for children whose parents have a specific diagnosis, and a number of camps that are designed not just for children but for siblings or the entire family to enjoy. Most camps are funded by private or government run organizations.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Each camp has a different set of eligibility requirements. Most require a diagnosis for the child or a member of their family. Some of the camps are limited to certain states, while others are available to anyone who is a legal resident of the United States. There are also financial requirements for many of the camps, based on the Federal Poverty Level. It is best to contact each camp to find out what requirements they may have.

How to Find a Camp

Finding a camp or retreat on NeedyMeds.org is easy. There are four ways to find a camp for your child/family. First is our listing of camps by diagnosis, where we list the diagnoses alphabetically. You can also search by Camp Name, Camp Sponsor, or Camp Location. After finding a camp on the list just click the name to get the full contact information.  We currently list 1461 different Camps.