DYT Guidelines/Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
For DYT Summer 2020
Introduction: Guidelines are very difficult to write as they may sound daunting, but they are guidelines/FAQ’s for our DYT program that have been developed over 25 years working with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and their families based on the situations that we have encountered throughout those years. In addition, many of our guidelines are consistent with those of various municipal children’s programs in BC, as well as other BC camps that support children with special needs. We have also taken into consideration the guidelines used by the BC Ministry of Education regarding students with special needs (class size/composition in BC classrooms). We recognize that each DHH child and family is unique and DYT uses these guidelines to ensure the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of each DHH child in our program.
NEW FOR SUMMER 2020
YES. DYT looks quite different this year! Due to COVID-19, DYT has created many Virtual (online) camps as well as some “In Person” Outdoor Day Camps (with limited enrollment). This year is very unique, so we will be communicating with you often and updating our website to reflect any program changes. As we will follow the guidelines from the BC Health Officer, we need to be flexible if we need to revise our Summer 2020 programs at any time for safety reasons. Your child is our top priority, and we are passionately committed to serving you and offering a safe environment for your child this summer whether that is our traditional “In Person” Camps or our new Virtual (online) Camps.
Due to COVID-19 and social distancing, we have developed some FAQ’s specifically for DYT’s Virtual (online) Camps.
For Summer 2020: The new Virtual Camp Guidelines/FAQ’s will be towards the bottom of all these FAQ’s. So please scroll down.
Frequently asked questions
1) HOW IS DYT CONNECTED TO FNDC?
Family Network for Deaf Children (FNDC) is a small not for profit charity with limited financial resources. The focus is primarily on providing an ASL enriched summer experience through our Deaf Youth Today (DYT) program for DHH children and youth that know ASL or are learning. Deaf Youth Today (DYT) is a program focusing on language enhancement (ASL) and social opportunities for DHH children in British Columbia. Family Network for Deaf Children (FNDC) manages this contract from B.C. Ministry of Children & Family Development (MCFD) and through grants and donations.
2) WHO ARE FNDC’S BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF?
DYT Summer Staff: Each summer we hire approximately 10 DYT full time summer staff. We are fortunate to receive Canada Summer Jobs Grants to hire these individuals. In addition, DYT hires many contracted staff members and personal support workers. We invest in our DYT staff by providing an extensive training program to shape their leadership, teamwork, general skills and commitment in working with DHH children and their families as well as community professionals. Our programs are in groups or small group. Our staff-to-camper ratio is 1 staff for every 3 to 5 campers. Our DYT summer staff (DHH) are all college students/young DHH adults and they are still learning. Please be patient with them, give them feedback and encouragement. Your DHH child will grow up and they may become a DYT Counsellor in Training and a DYT staff one day.
3) CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS & SAFETY?
All our staff have completed criminal record checks. In addition, DYT has policies that your child will not be alone with a staff member. For staff safety, our communication policy is that all staff and Personal Support Workers must be fluent in ASL.
4) REGISTRATION INFORMATION
To register, go to our website: www.fndc.ca and register online. If you wish to register your child manually by mail, fax or phone, DYT will need to charge a $20.00 fee for administrative costs associated with manual registrations. Sorry, but manual registrations take up more time. :-(
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How much information do you need to know about my child? As many details as possible help us with appropriate staffing and ensuring that your child’s needs may be met as best as we can. Please let us know any/all of your child’s special circumstances: dietary concerns, medical, physical, emotional, behavioural etc. and if your child/youth has a personal support worker at school. The more we know about the kids in our program, the better we can meet their needs. This information will be kept confidential.
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Confidentiality: Confidentiality is very important to us. We assure you that DYT our staff have training around confidentiality. Any information you share with DYT in regard to your child or family is kept confidential. As our board members are all parents of deaf children, no information is ever shared with our Board.
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Will I receive a confirmation email after registration? Once registered online, you will receive a computer-generated confirmation. You will also receive an email closer to each weekly program start date outlining the program schedule, drop off/pick up times, program locations and details of what to bring. If you do not receive an email, contact us immediately at: dyt@fndc.ca Please avoid requesting information through social media (i.e., Facebook)
5) WHO CAN ATTEND DYT PROGRAMS?
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Can hearing children attend? We sometimes provide opportunities for hearing siblings of DHH children to take part in our program. We do this because we know that good communication in a sibling relationship is vital for the well-being of DHH children in their families. As well, this is an opportunity for hearing siblings to learn from other DHH children and deaf staff while being immersed in a deaf-friendly camp. We also sometimes provide opportunities for Children of Deaf Adults (CODA). CODA’s are hearing children who have grown up in a signing environment with a Deaf parent/s. Over the years, we have seen friendships develop between DHH children, their hearing siblings and CODA’s. We are all about community building for DHH children and their families. DHH children take priority in our programs (our MCFD contract mandate) but we try our best to accommodate hearing siblings or CODA’s during some program weeks. For Summer 2020: with the safety restrictions by the BC Health Officer, there may be very few opportunities for hearing children to participate this year. If we have space, we will announce openings.
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Is DYT accessible for Hard of Hearing Children? We welcome Hard of hearing (HH) kids who are open to being in a signing environment and wanting to learn! Many HH campers develop life-long friendships at DYT. DYT can be a safe and positive experience for HH campers who learn they have another community of friends at DYT and gain a large network for future opportunities (educational, career, social). As a side note: Many of our current Deaf staff identified as hard of hearing campers when they were younger. DYT encourages HH campers wanting to learn/further develop sign language and make/nurture friendships with other DHH children to join our program. That being said, all children are different (personalities, language and social/emotional needs, complex needs, communication and learning styles, etc.) and have different experiences being immersed in a signing camp. DYT staff receive training around strategies to make all children feel comfortable and welcome. We also have sign language interpreters involved in our camps so that HH campers are comfortable communicating with our Deaf staff. In addition, DYT staff will provide mentorship to those campers who are new. It is important that you have conversations with your children about being in a sign language immersion environment (how would you try to communicate if you weren’t sure how to sign). Contact the DYT Coordinator for more ideas to prepare children for camp.
For Summer 2020: For our Virtual (online programs) Don’t worry – our DYT staff are flexible. Just make sure we are aware in advance that your child isn’t fluent in ASL so that we have the interpreter confirmed.
6) CAN I REGISTER MY CHILD IF WE DON’T LIVE IN BC?
Campers must have a BC address (except under exceptional circumstances). BC DHH children take priority in all our programs, but if our registration roster isn’t full, we may be able to open up a space to an out of province camper. Additional fees may be charged to reflect the real program costs (not the subsidized rates). Please contact us to discuss further. As our funding is British Columbia based, we are unable to provide any supports for additional special needs that the camper may have. These extra costs would need to be paid by the family. We may require a Doctor and teacher’s letter stating the specific needs of the camper.
7) WHY AREN’T THERE MORE PROGRAM DETAILS ONLINE?
For Summer 2020: with social distancing due to COVID-19, we need to be flexible and may need to revise programs based on the directions of the BC Health Officer.
8) WHAT IF A DYT PROGRAM IS FULL – WILL THERE BE A WAIT LIST?
9) WHAT ABOUT MEDICATION FOR A CAMPER?
10) DYT FUNDING, FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND REFUNDS?
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Where does DYT funding come from? FNDC receives some of our funding from the B.C. Ministry of Children & Family Development, Service Canada (Canada Summer Jobs). The cost to run this program far exceeds our funding, therefore we rely on donations and grants. We use our finances wisely by keeping all our administrative costs to a minimum. Our FNDC & DYT administrative contract workers pour in long hours, for a very nominal amount of pay. We use our own cell phones, (share one FNDC/DYT cellphone), meet in coffee shops and work from our homes in order to keep our overhead costs to a bare minimum so that we can maximize resources that directly benefit the children and families we serve. In the Summer months, we hire DYT Summer staff (college & high school students) through the Canada Summer Jobs grant program. Our DYT summer staff are all paid hourly wages and work full time weekly during the summer. FNDC proudly can say – we are the largest summer employer of DHH students in British Columbia. We also contract additional staff and personal support workers when needed. In addition, we are happy to receive private donations and grants.
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How does DYT decide the program fees? Our program fees are subsidized HUGELY. For example, we charge approx. $80.00, but the actual cost is between $200 and $350 per camper. Parents on our Board are very understanding/supportive of the emotional, educational and financial needs of younger parents of DHH children throughout British Columbia. We feel this way because we have been in your shoes. For this reason, FNDC has made a huge commitment to provide quality kids programs at very, very affordable costs to parents. We also realize that parents must commute long distances daily to our programs or travel to the lower mainland for a week at time. We want to make the cost affordable so that you will sign up your child/youth for several weeks because our goal is to enhance and develop your child’s language and social opportunities. Language growth and friendships – that’s our goal.
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Does DYT have subsidized program fees for families in need? If the program fees are a financial burden on your family, please let us know. Our program’s funding is for DHH children. Funding for hearing siblings/CODA’s (Children of Deaf Adults) isn’t available. In regard to funding for your DHH children, we are happy to work with you on lessening the financial burden, however, we ask that you pay a portion of the fee as a commitment to us that your child will attend because we hire our staff based on our registration numbers. Your commitment to attend is valued. Each summer, we may offer a one-week program that is NOT subsidized, and therefore we can’t offer any reduced funding for that week. Send us an email: dyt@fndc.ca to let us know your situation so that we can work something out. If you are in great financial need, please ask – so we can assist you. Please be reasonable with us as we are already heavily subsidizing the program fees.
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Can I get a refund? If you withdraw from a program the Thursday prior to the start date (Monday) of the next week’s camp, we will refund your money. If you don’t show up to the program, we cannot offer a refund because we have booked our staff (and programs) based on the number of children registered. Please be considerate as our fees are heavily subsidized so last minute dropouts affect us financially (loss of program fee, extra staff still need to be paid, program/bus has been booked). If your child is asked to leave a program due to inappropriate behaviour, we cannot offer refunds. In cases of extenuating circumstances, we will offer refunds.
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FOR SUMMER 2020: CAMP-IN-A-BOX – has a slightly different refund policy because BOXES will be mailed out a minimum of one week prior to the start day of camp which means that DYT has incurred the cost of postage and all the supplies for the camp. Refunds will be offered based on your individual situation. Parents may contact dyt@fndc.ca for information on late refunds. Please keep in mind that due to COVID-19 our camp attendance will be limited on numbers, and we will be accepting significantly lower than normal camper numbers. We ask that you are committed to attending the virtual session due to these circumstances.
11) PROGRAM INFORMATION
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What should my child bring to the program? You will receive a “PROGRAM SPECIFIC” email letting you know the schedule and what to bring. The email will be sent between 3 to 7 days before the program start date. If you do not receive an email, contact us immediately at dyt@fndc.ca Please avoid requesting information through social media (i.e., Facebook). Some of our programs may involve dirt, sand, paint, glue, glitter and food, so please send your child in clothing that is ok to get dirty and possibly become stained. Please ensure your child comes with the following to the day programs: -
Comfy clothes (that can get dirty) -
Bag lunch, snacks, water bottle -
A bottle of sunscreen in a backpack. -
Please apply sunscreen before arrival. DYT will remind children to re-apply. -
Good walking shoes. -
Note: hearing aids, assistive devices etc. should be labelled (and insured by you).
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Does DYT provide lunch? No, we don’t provide lunch. Each child needs to come to the program with a lunch packed. We encourage bagged lunches and discourage giving children money for lunch. Giving money to children causes problems (i.e., lost money, inequality of funds between kids, over-purchasing of candy or buying food for others). Please pack a healthy bagged lunch and water.
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Can parents/family members hang around and participate in the DYT Program? Our DYT program’s mandate is to provide social opportunities and language enhancement to DHH children. DHH children/youth often have a large number of adults in their lives (Educational Assistants, Interpreters, SLP’s, Resource teachers etc.). Hearing children have many social opportunities and can hear language everywhere in their environment (TV, music, parents, friends, family members, neighbours and all the incidental learning that takes place on the playground, in the grocery line up etc). DYT provides an opportunity for your DHH child that is equal to their hearing peers’ experience, where they may experience access and inclusion by having fun, experiencing some independence from parents/caregivers and professionals. This allows D/HH children to learn how to meet and navigate new friendships, be exposed to signing in a language rich environment and to see conversation all around them in the same way that hearing children and have access. Parents: we want you to enjoy your free time, relax and know that your DHH child is in good, safe hands! If you need to drop in to make sure your child is safe, we welcome you, but the goal of our program is to encourage DHH kids to have a regular “camper experience” with their friends.
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How will you transport my child during the programs? Campers may be transported together in groups on public transit (bus, skytrain, seabus,) ferry, private rental buses, owned/rented vans. In case of an emergency, a taxi or private vehicle (with at least 2 staff members present) will be used.
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Can I drop off/pick up my child from a destination (other than the DYT meeting place? Of course, once in a while, in an emergency or extenuating circumstance this is fine. A common drop off/pick up location for all our campers is best so we can ensure safety. Great language opportunities and conversation (ie friendships, conflict resolution) and learning experiences happen while on the bus or transit – we value these real life experiences! When we receive several requests from parents with a variety of drop/off pick up changes/requests, it can lead to a big concern around confusion and safety issues. We need to ensure that all children are counted and accounted for during drop off and pick up. In addition, if a parent says (for example) they want to pick up at the Stanley Park, but the parent arrives late, this puts our DYT program in a tough position. The bus leaves with all the campers and DYT staff must leave to meet all the other parents on time, leaving one DYT staff and a camper waiting in Stanley Park wondering when the parent will arrive and DYT then needs to pay for a taxi for our staff member to get back to Burnaby. We prefer to have one drop off/pick up location.
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The crush/relationship thing? In our youth camps, there may be campers that are dating. We request that there be no physical affection during camps (i.e. kissing, hand-holding etc.).
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Inappropriate conversations? Inappropriate conversations are not tolerated (i.e. drugs, smoking, alcohol, sexual content, swearing etc.).
12) HEARING AIDS, CI PROCESSORS, PHOTOS & CELLPHONES
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What happens if my child loses their phone or hearing aid etc.? DYT is not responsible for any valuables that are lost, stolen, or damaged. We suggest insuring hearing aids and cochlear implant processors, etc. through your home insurance.
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Can my child use their cellphone during the programs? We ask that cell phone/text messaging use be kept to minimum/emergencies so that youth can benefit from our programs. We want our campers to enjoy their experience and engage with other campers and staff, so keeping texting to a minimum is important.
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Photos and Videos, what’s the policy? Campers want to capture memories with the friends on their cameras/cellphones. If you do not want your children/youth photographed, PLEASE LET US KNOW ASAP. Please be aware that with technology today, it is extremely difficult to monitor other children taking photographs. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that your child/youth can be photographed. Photographs/Videos may be taken at the Deaf Youth Today (DYT) Summer Program at various locations and may be shared with Provincial Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services (PDHHS), or posted to our website, FNDC Facebook page, YouTube, DYT brochures, newsletters or thanking our donors. The pictures will be used for the purpose of illustrating the activities at Deaf Youth Today. No names will be attached to photos unless permission is asked of you (the parent/guardian). Parents who have concerns regarding photography of their children agree to contact DYT in advance of the camp to resolve any issues regarding use of their child’s photographs or photography. If parents do not contact DYT prior to Camp, then we will assume that your child/youth may be videotaped and photographed.
13) IF YOUR CHILD IS ASKED TO LEAVE (DISMISSAL) THE DYT PROGRAM
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talk with the child/youth so they are aware of the issue; -
call parents/guardians to alert to the possibility of potential dismissal from camp; -
give child/youth opportunity to change behaviour and if these 3 steps fail, then we will call parent/guardian to pick up child/youth.
14) DYT’S COUNSELLOR IN TRAINING PROGRAM (REVISED FOR SUMMER 2020)
15) PERSONAL SUPPORT WORKERS FOR DHH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
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All Personal Support Workers (PSW’s) are required to: -
have training/skills that match the needs of the DHH child with complex needs -
are fluent in ASL -
pass a criminal record check -
be over the age of 17 -
not be a family member of the DHH child.
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16) DHH CAMPERS WITH DISABILITIES THAT ARE COMPLEX
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Process for Registration/Acceptance for DHH children with disabilities that are complex: Camper’s needs’ are reviewed at registration and assessed throughout each summer season. Prior to registering your DHH child with disabilities that are complex, we ask that you: -
email dyt@fndc.ca to inform our Registration Assistant of the needs of your DHH child.
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DYT team will review the registration information to see if the program is suitable for your child and to see if DYT has qualified Personal Support Workers (PSW’s) to work with your child. We are limited in the number of available PSW’s each week.
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If your child is accepted, we may need to limit the number of program weeks based upon the availability of qualified PSW’s to match your child’s needs, and the number of other children registered that week needing support.
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Circumstances may arise during the summer where the DHH participant’s safety is in danger to him or herself and/or to other participants. If that is the case, your child will need to withdraw from the summer program.
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If your DHH child is not accepted, this means the summer program is not suitable for your child and we will work with you to find other community resources and programs that will be a good match.
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NEW FOR SUMMER 2020
FAQ’s specific to VIRTUAL (ONLINE) CAMPS
Frequently asked questions
17) WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL MY CHILD NEED?
Your child will need access to a computer or laptop, PC or MAC as long as it has a webcam. Mobile Devices such as iPhone, iPad or Tablet are also acceptable but could be more challenging for viewing the sessions. DYT does not want any camper to not attend camp due to technology and equipment needs. If you need to borrow a device from DYT please contact dyt@fndc.ca for information on our lending program. DYT will only be able to lend equipment with a minimum 2 weeks’ notice.
SOFTWARE NEEDED: You will need to download ZOOM from:
https://zoom.us/download on your computer/laptop or if you are using an Apple device, download the Zoom app.
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working high speed-internet connection -
webcam (most laptops have one built in) -
laptop/desktop (works best) or ipad, iphone, tablet -
a quiet/distraction-free environment (a separate space with a door you can close, but any quiet area where you won’t be distracted -
download zoom ahead of time and try to be comfortable using it.
18) WHAT ROLE DO PARENTS PLAY? IS IT INDEPENDENT LEARNING?
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I’m a bit nervous about my child being online without me? We totally understand that leaving your child alone at a computer can be very concerning . DYT will only allow children registered in our camps into the Zoom sessions and our DYT staff will be there to monitor conversations and mediate/facilitate wherever needed. Any questions or concerns, please contact us dyt@fndc.ca
19) TELL ME MORE ABOUT VIRTUAL CAMPS
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Are Virtual Camps all day long? Virtual Camps will be offered in timeslots. Time slots will be scheduled based on the program content and age of the campers. Virtual Camps will be a minimum of 1 hour and maximum of 2 hours per session.
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Are Virtual Programs in real time or will they be pre recorded? DYT will be offering both “live” virtual programs and some pre-recorded programs. There will be live programs where everyone participates online, at a scheduled time, together with a DYT Mentor and/or a DYT Instructor. In addition to our weekly programs: DYT is also hoping to provide some fun pre-recorded activity options for DYT Campers to participate in from home.
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How long will a Virtual Program run? Camp-in-a-Box weeks will be Monday to Friday each week (average 1.5 hours per day). Speciality Programs will run once a week over a 4 to 6 week period (1 hour per day).
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Scheduling and Attendance. What if my child misses a day? It is not mandatory for campers to attend every session, but it is highly recommended.
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What does an online camp actually look like? A virtual summer camp is an all-online endeavor where your child will work on fun projects together with his or her peers from all across the province during the course of a week or weekly basis. Each week or program will be individually planned and scheduled including equipment preparation.
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Who guides the instruction online? Is there a Camp Mentor? We are proud of our team of DYT staff mentors and facilitators that will lead these Camp Programs. Each of our staff have a passion to work with children and share their individual talents with your children. At certain times, DYT will hire a specialized staff that will lead a specialized program for your children. Our goal is to hire Deaf Specialists to lead these programs, but in the case we cannot hire a Deaf specialist we will hire an interpreter to work with a hired Facilitator. Each program will be assigned a minimum of 2 DYT Staff mentors to lead and support the session, as well as some specialized staff will be collaborating with DYT to offer specialized programs.
20) HOW DO WE GET OUR BOXES? AND WHAT OTHER SUPPLIES ARE NEEDED?
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Will my child need any supplies? Each Virtual Camp is going to be specially planned to meet the campers’ needs. Campers participating in “Camp-in-a-box” week or “Surprise-Week” will receive a Camper Box with all the necessary items for camp. Campers might be asked to provide some basic supplies that can be found in the home which may include: scissors, tape, pencils and crayons/felts. All equipment requirements will be expressed in the registration package and follow up email. The fee for the Camper boxes is included in the registration fee.
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How do we get our supplies or boxes for CAMP-IN-A-BOX? Families will have 3 options for delivery for their child’s CAMP-IN-A-BOX:
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PICK UP: DYT will set up a designated time and location for families to pick up their child’s CAMP box. All COVID-19 safety regulations will be followed during pick up. Families will be assigned times for pick-up. Multiple date/time options will be given. We hope you choose this option!
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DROP OFF: If pick up is impossible, families may request a drop off to their home if they are unable to pick up their CAMP box. Families that live within a 40 km radius to Burnaby South are eligible for drop off if needed. Please note: We are asking Lower Mainland families to please do your best to pick up the boxes so that we can avoid gas costs and postage.
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MAIL: DYT will mail your CAMP box directly to you. All families living outside of the Lower Mainland will have their boxes mailed directly to them. Please ensure you have registered a minimum of 2 weeks prior to camp to confirm you will receive your box on time.
21) CONTACT US: Complaints, Concerns, Comments, Compliments!
CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS