FAQs

Children who struggle with inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and social skills deficits thrive at Camp Baker because our approach is tailored to help children with ADHD succeed. One of the primary goals of our program is to increase positive, appropriate behaviors so that children can have fun, successful summers. Throughout the day, campers receive a tremendous amount of positive reinforcement and praise for appropriate, on-task behaviors. This allows children, who have sometimes struggled in more traditional camp settings, to experience success. Another important aspect of the program is clear, consistent limit setting. For instance, children are taught and expected to follow directions, pay attention, help and share with friends, and work with their counselors on accomplishing their individualized goals. Therefore, children who struggle with limits and adult authority, verbally or physically aggressive behaviors, or significant negative peer interactions are not appropriate for Camp Baker.

The dates for each program vary every year, but Camp Baker takes place over a 6-week period between July and August.  The exact times of the camp day will be determined closer to the start of the summer, but camp will run from approximately 8:30am-4pm.

For the most up-to-date information on dates and times, visit our home page.

Enrollment in Camp Baker begins December 1st and is a multi-step process. First, caregivers complete the Camp Baker application form using our Camp Doc online portal. Then, we will send standardized questionnaires for caregivers and teachers to complete and mail back to us. Once we receive this initial application, we review materials and schedule a 1-hour phone conversation. If we (program staff and caregivers) agree that Camp Baker is a good fit for your child and family, then we complete the registration process and welcome you to the Camp Baker family!

The cost of Camp Baker is $6,500. This includes the full 6-week program with a 2:1 ratio of children to highly trained and qualified staff. This cost also covers swimming twice per day, fun sports and art activities, academic instruction, and 21 hours of in-person parent training throughout the summer and school year during which we offer childcare and food. Bus transportation to and from camp is also included in the cost. Some need-based aid is available.

Bus transportation to Camp Baker is included in the cost of the summer. There will be two stops, one in Boston and one stop in the Westwood-area suburbs. Please note, parents will only be allowed to drop off and pick up campers at these stops. Parents are not permitted to drive their children directly to Camp Baker at Hale Education. Buses will be staffed with counselors to ensure safety and supervision. If a camper is late, please contact the Director to coordinate drop off.

Food is not provided by Camp Baker. Parents are expected to pack a healthy lunch and ample snacks for their child each day. At parent nights, pizza will be provided for children and caregivers.

Academic regression over the summer is an unfortunately common occurrence for children with ADHD. Additionally, children with ADHD struggle to re-learn the routines of completing and turning in homework, so consistency is of the utmost importance. Campers participate in one academic period during the day.  Campers focus on maintaining the rhythm of being in a classroom while completing math, reading, writing, and other traditional academic work. Children work together to learn about the importance of teamwork, to understand how to celebrate differences, and to practice effective problem-solving strategies.

Yes! Parental involvement is a crucial component in making Camp Baker successful for all participating children and families. Parents participate in weekly training sessions where they learn the skills we use at camp. Parents then get to practice using the skills, so that they can implement their new strategies at home, at school, and in other settings. Worried you’ll miss us when the summer ends? Never fear! Parent nights continue to meet monthly via Zoom throughout the school year (October to May).

At Camp Baker, our Daily Report Cards (DRC’s) are the primary tool for communication with parents/caregivers. When you go to pick your child up at the bus stop at the end of the camp day, one of your child’s counselors will go over their DRC with you, providing you with important information about your child’s performance at camp. If your child had a great day, we would work with you to identify a small but meaningful reward for their impressive behavior.

Similarly, if your child struggled, we will work together to identify a plan for limiting rewards at home this evening. This way, kids know that counselors and parents communicate, and it makes the program run more smoothly and successfully.

We strongly recommend that children attend the full 6-week program in order to maximize the benefits of Camp Baker. Our program is very structured, and it can take the 1-2 weeks for kids to understand our rules and structure and respond to our limit-setting well. Therefore, in order to see any meaningful gains, we recommend that kids participate in full. That being said, many families choose to miss a few days here and there for vacations or other plans, which is totally understandable. In the event that your child will be absent, we ask that parents communicate any plans to us and that we work together in case transitions in and out of the program might be challenging. We also cannot pro-rate the cost of camp because we have a finite number of spots.

Unfortunately, because we have a finite number of spots we are not able to offer any discounts. We support families in finding other funding resources to help offset the cost of tuition as well as offer need-based financial aid.

While we appreciate the offer, part of what makes our program an effective one is that our staff are highly trained and receive extensive supervision, therefore we are not able to offer positions for volunteers. We keep caregivers involved in our program through parent night sessions and the daily communication between staff and caregivers.

Yes, we do offer need-based financial aid. We disperse aid on a rolling basis, so if you are in need of aid, we encourage you to apply sooner rather than later as we have a limited amount. It is also important to note that we never have enough aid to cover any one child’s spot. Therefore, we encourage you to think about how much you can contribute towards the tuition as well as other outside potential funding sources (e.g., school, pediatrician, outside providers, campership funds).

In order to apply, families fill out an application online. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee. If paying that fee is a financial hardship, please email the Associate Director a copy of your tax returns to document household income and then we can provide a coupon code to waive the fee.

As an Official Partner Camp of Hale Education, Camp Baker is able to staff and operate its own summer program on Hale Education’s 1,137-acre campus in Westwood and Dover, MA. Hale provides facilities, a health center and activity specialists that afford our program opportunities to swim, boat, hike, learn about nature, and climb on its challenge courses.

We are here to help and are happy to speak and answer any more questions you might have about Camp Baker. Please do not hesitate to email (campbaker@bakercenter.org) or call us (617-278-4286).