Barefoot Republic is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all of our staff, campers, and guests.  The following COVID Health & Safety Protocols are subject to change based on CDC, state, and local health department guidelines. 

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SAFETY PLEDGE

We are committed to the safety of every staff member, camper, volunteer and Barefoot guest.  Our safety pledge to you is to provide a safe environment for your camper to experience Christ-centered relationships and to encounter Christ during each camp session.  We pledge to be diligent in implementing policies and protocols in order to keep everyone as safe as we can.  Our team is working diligently to follow the recommendations set forth by the CDC and both the Tennessee Department of Health (Day Camp Sessions) and the Kentucky Department of Health (Residential Camp Sessions) to equip our staff and guests to minimize the spread of germs. All Barefoot staff will be thoroughly educated in CDC-approved sanitizing protocols.

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DILIGENT SCREENING PROCESS

All campers will be screened prior to arrival on campus for any camp session.  We ask each camper family to assist us with maintaining a healthy camp community by keeping track of your camper(s)’ daily health and wellness fourteen (14) days prior to camp.  Camper families will be provided with a COVID Health Screen Form to log camper health each day that will be reviewed during an initial health screening upon arriving for the first day of camp. Additionally, campers will be screened daily upon arrival to the transportation site or camp venue.  If a camper does not pass the daily screening, they will not be allowed to attend camp for the day.  A camper who fails the daily screening test will be allowed to attend camp after they have been fever-free for 24 hours.  If the camper is unable to attend camp due to exhibiting COVID-19 related symptoms, they will have the opportunity to be refunded. Additionally, upon arrival to the transportation site, as well as, the camp site, there will be temperature checks conducted for every camper.  For overnight campers, there will be daily temperature checks for all campers while at camp.

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All Barefoot staff will complete daily temperature checks and COVID-19 screenings before starting camp each day.

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CLEANING IS KEY

We will have dedicated staff to help in ensuring that our cleaning and sanitizing protocols will meet or exceed that which the CDC and both the Tennessee Department of Health (Day Camp Sessions) and the Kentucky Department of Health (Residential Camp Sessions) have set forth. High traffic areas such as restrooms, meeting spaces, and indoor gathering areas will be cleaned and sanitized multiple times per day. Cabins will be cleaned and disinfected before campers arrive. Dining facilities will meet or exceed CDC sanitizing requirements.

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HAND WASHING HIGHLIGHT

A key part of our safety plan is to ensure staff, campers, volunteers and Barefoot guests are washing their hands on a regular basis.  We have incorporated a camp chant, hand washing breaks and set up hand washing stations at strategic places around property and encourage our frequent use. We will also be encouraging all staff, campers and camp guests to wash hands as much as possible throughout the day.

 

WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER

We are so excited about getting back to Barefoot Camp this summer and want to work together with each staff member, camper and camper family and Barefoot guest to be fully confident and informed on the health protocols we have in place.  As an additional measure of safety, we are limiting on site guests to essential staff, volunteers and registered campers only for each session.  This excludes emergency situations.

We will be reaching out to each family to communicate session specific COVID protocols related to transportation sites, and day camp venue specific protocols.  We would like to thank you in advance for working with us to ensure a safe camp season.

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If you would like additional information or clarification, please call us at (615) 599 – 9683 and we will gladly answer any questions you might have.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

All of these policies and practices are subject to change based on CDC, state, and local health department guidelines.

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What will a day at camp look like?

Republics – Campers are broken down into Republics.  Barefoot Republics are defined as a small group of campers that share camp experiences as a community.  Each Republic will be smaller in size this year and will travel as a small group to daily activities including all camp meetings, worship sessions, Family devo and mealtimes.  Republic leaders will guide each Republic to and from those activities keeping proper distance from other groups while traveling and participating in the all camp meeting and worship sessions. Our small groups will remain age/gender separated to the greatest extent possible.

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Mealtimes – During mealtimes, each Republic will be led by our staff to their designated table and will be guided through proper sanitization before and after each meal. Each Republic table will be placed according to CDC guidelines to allow proper spacing and ventilation. 

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All Camp Meetings & Worship Sessions – This year, we will be facilitating all camp meetings and worship sessions in outdoor settings, whenever possible.  For indoor sessions, campers will be required to wear a mask except in select day camp venues (Grace Chapel & Citipointe Church).  Each Republic will be led to a designated area that is safely distanced from other Republics, while still maintaining a united worship experience with all other Republics.

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Specialties & Free Time – Due to our reduced camp capacity this year, as well as, the health & safety protocols in place, we are excited to announce that we will still be able to offer our specialties in line with our previous camp seasons.  There will be modifications to ensure a safe and clean environment to include masks worn while inside and space and cleaning protocols will be followed as necessary with the specialty.  Outdoor specialties will not require a mask; however, proper cleaning and sanitation of all equipment will be diligently performed to maintain a safe environment.

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Will my camper need to wear a mask? Your camper will need to wear a face-covering when inside, excluding while eating and drinking. Campers will not need to wear face coverings when at the lake, while participating in outdoor activities, or while sleeping, eating, or drinking.  Campers will be required to check in at camp each day with their own personal mask.  A face covering is defined as an appropriate mask that covers the nose and mouth.

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Will my camper need to be tested before arrival?
Your camper will not need to be tested prior to arriving at camp. Camper families will be provided with a COVID Health Screen Form to log camper health each day that will be reviewed during an initial health screening upon arriving for the first day of camp.  Additionally, temperature checks will be required prior to the arrival of camp and on a daily basis.

 

Will I need to take my camper’s temperature each day?
Each camper’s temperature will be taken every day upon arrival to camp or to the designated camp site.

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What happens if my camper gets sick?
If a camper has a fever or expresses COVID-19 symptoms at the transportation site, the camper will not be able to attend camp.  If a camper has a fever or expresses COVID-19 symptoms during onsite check-in at the camp location, the camper will not be able to attend camp.  If a camper does not pass the daily screening, they will not be allowed to attend camp for the day.  A camper who fails the daily screening test will be allowed to attend camp after they have been fever-free for 24 hours. 

If a camper has a fever or expresses COVID-19 symptoms while on-site, the camper will be sent to the camp nurse for triage and either quarantined and/or administered a COVID-19 rapid test.

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If a camper in my Republic tests positive while at camp, will my Republic need to quarantine?
If a camper tests positive for COVID-19, the camper’s parent or guardian should pick up, or have arranged to have the camper picked up, within 3 hours. When a camper tests positive for COVID-19, we will notify the Republic leaders of all campers in the Republic. Our staff, along with the Republic leaders will help determine which other campers have had close contact with the individual and must be quarantined. The campers who had close contact with the individual who tested positive will need to also be picked up and leave camp within 3 hours in order to quarantine.

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Campers returning from camp should consider minimizing in-person contact with any person 65 years of age or older, especially those with pre-existing health conditions, for a period of fourteen days. This includes maintaining social distancing of at least 6 feet of separation from those individuals, wearing a face-covering mask, and avoiding sharing utensils or other common objects with those individuals.

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Will all staff be vaccinated?
While we are encouraging all of our staff to be vaccinated prior to camp, we are not requiring this as a condition to serve.  However, we have implemented specific safety protocols and daily screenings for our staff to ensure their safety and the safety of our campers.

What will capacity be like?

Depending on changes to CDC, state, and local guidelines, we are currently planning to operate at a reduced capacity for each camp session.  We will follow CDC guidelines in determining close contact, which the CDC prescribes as 15-minutes of contact within 6-feet within 24 hours. This contact rule applies whether minutes are consecutive or nonconsecutive, masked/unmasked, or indoors/outdoors.

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What will cleaning look like?
High traffic areas such as restrooms, meeting spaces, and indoor gathering areas will be cleaned and sanitized multiple times per day. Additionally, specialty and camp equipment will be cleaned frequently.  Our dining facilities will be sanitized before and after every meal.  The cabins will be cleaned and disinfected before campers arrive and hand sanitizer stations will be readily available around property.

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What will housing look like?
We will have reduced capacities in our cabins, as well as, directing our residential campers to sleep head to foot in each of our sleeping spaces.

What will bus transportation look like?
We will have reduced capacity on our buses transporting campers for both overnight and day camp.  Seating proximity will be limited and siblings will be grouped together when possible. All bus riders are required to wear masks during transport. All buses will be sanitized and disinfected before and after every run.