One Hope Canada's commitment to the protection of children and vulnerable persons.
Parents and other caregivers place extreme trust in us when they send their children to a One Hope Canada camp or community ministry. We take this responsibility seriously. Our In Safe Hands child and youth protection policy and training course reflects our commitment to keeping kids, youth, and vulnerable adults safe, as well as the leaders who serve them.
Keeping Your Children Safe
In Safe Hands includes training and expectations on issues and situations such as child abuse, accountability, behaviour standards, and respect. Prior to serving at camp, our missionaries are required to take part in an on-site In Safe Hands training or to complete an online In Safe Hands course and exam.
Watch the video for more on One Hope Canada’s commitment to child and youth protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What standards do your camps and ministries follow?
Our camps and community ministries are required to follow the provincial safety requirements of their province, which include Child Abuse checks, Vulnerable Sector searches, and police checks. We request character references from our missionaries and may initiate a phone call with their references in addition to their reference letter.
What does a day at camp look like?
We’ve filled our camp schedules with special activities, events, and cabin times that were created with your child in mind. Some of the activities our camps offer include hiking, boating, horsemanship, archery, swimming and lakefront activities, sports, life skills, fishing, canoe trips, zip-lining, mountain biking, drama, art, paintball… the list goes on!
Because your child’s safety is our priority, our missionaries – from lifeguards to wall-climbing instructors – are specifically trained in their area of oversight, certified if necessary, and know how to conduct a skill class safely.
What about medical care?
Each camp has a medical officer onsite – either a nurse or another qualified individual – who is able to administer medication, provide emergency first aid, and provide medical insight into situations that may arise, along with knowing when and how to access further medical care.
While we are committed to having excellent medical care at camp, we also believe that prevention is one of the best lines of defense against accidents, and want to do all in our power to eliminate the need for medical attention.
What about emergencies?
Each camp has an emergency procedure in place that is discussed at missionary training. Each camp ensures an appropriate and rapid response to these situations. Feel free to discuss the question of emergencies with your camp director on registration day or contact the camp before arrival.
What about after camp?
We encourage our missionaries to continue the mentoring friendships they develop with campers throughout the year, but we ask that they honour you as a parent/caregiver by first requesting permission to remain in contact with your child after camp concludes.
If your child attends a One Hope Canada camp, the camp may ask you for permission to have your child’s leaders make contact through phone, mail, email, social media, our TWELVE discipleship app, or a personal visit.
We recognize that you may strongly value the idea of having an older mentor in the life of your child, but may have some questions about what that would look like. We encourage that you keep an open dialogue between yourself and your child’s cabin leader as you both seek to invest in your child and continue to create safe places for them to thrive.
