Camp Questions

All of our camps are “family camps.” Adults attend their own workshops while kids (adoptees and siblings) attend programming for their specific age group.

Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families is different from tennis camp or chess camp, or even just sleep away camp, which are about children’s hobbies and interests. HCAF is about your child’s very being – celebrating who they are and where they came from. When you send your child to tennis camp or sleep away camp, they may come home playing better tennis or having learned some fun new songs. When they come to HCAF, they return home knowing more about their inner self, feeling like a little gap in who they are is filled.

When parents/caregivers attend camp, they immerse themselves in a community of experts, fellow parents who are grappling with the same complexities of adoption, and they have an opportunity to celebrate their family without the typical day-to-day distractions.

All ages benefit from camp. In fact we firmly believe it is never too young to start introducing an adopted child to his or her birth culture, but also to many other adopted children “just like them.” Many of our camps provide childcare for kids under 2. Youth campers begin at age 3 (if they are potty trained) and go all the way up through high school. Learn more about programming for preschoolers, elementary aged, middle school students, and high schoolers.

All aspects of our programming — culture and adoption related — is specific to each age group. From Pre-K through high school, children benefit from being with adoptees with a shared experience, camp counselors who serve as cultural/racial mirrors, and HCAF’s Specialized Programs — such as HeArt Talks, This is My Heart, and This is Me — which support children in processing issues related to adoption and social identities, such as race or culture.

While it’s never too late to start attending camp, children benefit most when their cultural, racial, and adoptive identities are affirmed and supported as babies and toddlers, so we encourage families to be start early and be proactive.

Non-adopted siblings participate in camp activities with their age group (not necessarily with their sibling) and we typically have more than several youth campers who are not adopted. Many non-adopted siblings have expressed an improved understanding about what it must be like to be the only person of a particular race within the family or the neighborhood, or just to feel different for being adopted. Additionally, they gain an understanding of their sibling’s birth culture.

Every parent is required to volunteer at camp. By volunteering, parents are invested in growing camp programming that is responsive to the needs of their kids and other families. Adoptees experience meaningful engagement from their parents that cannot be achieved merely from writing a check for camp fees. We’ve heard from countless families who say that volunteering at camp — getting their hands messy, problem-solving with adult adoptees or cultural community members — has created meaningful and lasting relationships that enrich their lives.

Volunteer assignments are made after registration. You will be notified of your volunteer role prior to camp, however, if you would like to play a more active role in the planning and vision of your camp, you can volunteer to coordinate, or to co-​coordinate activities/​committees prior to camp. During registration, you’ll have an opportunity to select activities of interest. The director of your camp will be in touch with specific details.

HCAF camp programming for adults is a combination of adoption-related topics and cultural resources, and also includes a variety of workshops that are fun, interactive, and educational. Parents might choose from workshops on traditional cooking, dance, music, or less interactive activities, such as the screening of a documentary related to the culture that’s specific to that camp. While kids programming includes HCAF’s Specialized Programs — such as HeArt Talks, This is My Heart, and This is Me — much of the kids programming is comprised of fun and engaging workshops that support team-building. For example, kids might participate in martial arts, a hip hop class, a ropes course, or whitewater rafting (depending on the venue for your camp).

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