Updated May 8, 2020

Rescue Ranch Education Department Policies and FAQs regarding COVID-19

Are we still planning on running Critter Camp this summer?

Most definitely! What is being done to help manage disease prevention?

The safety and health of our campers is always the highest priority with all of our programs. To help mitigate potential transmission, we have made the following camp policy changes:

• Increasing our already intensive cleaning policies following official recommendations. This includes sanitizing door handles, countertops, tables, restrooms, and other surfaces several times a day in public-accessed spaces. Most of our camp will take place outside or in a room not accessed by the public or any non-education staff members.

• Reducing the number of campers each week. Preschool camps will have no more than 6 campers. Elementary and Middle School camps will have no more than 20 campers with two teachers (10 campers per group). This will allow for more social distancing.

• Campers will have assigned seats and materials to limit the materials that are shared. • Staff and volunteers will be asked to take their temperatures before coming to work. They

will be asked to verify that they do not have a temperature over 100.4 or any COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival.

• Guardians will be asked to take camper temperatures before coming to camp. They will be asked to verify that their child does not have a temperature over 100.4 or any COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival. See below for common symptoms and what to look for.

• We will continue to incorporate hand sanitizing and hand washing several times a day into our schedule and maintain good hygiene and disease prevention practices.

Policies regarding COVID-19 are changing daily, and we are following these updates closely. If recommendations from local or federal government agencies change, we will adjust accordingly and keep you informed.

Can my child get COVID-19 from the animals at Rescue Ranch? According to the Center of Disease Control,

“In the United States, there is no evidence that animals are playing a significant role in the spread of COVID-19. Based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low. However, because all animals can carry germs that can make people sick, it’s always a good idea to practice healthy habits around pets and other animals.”

We will continue to have campers hand sanitize after animal interactions.

Updated May 8, 2020

What are signs and symptoms that I should not bring my child to camp?

Just like with the flu and other illnesses, we ask that campers, volunteers, and staff stay at home if they are experiencing distress or showing contagious symptoms.

For COVID-19, symptoms include a fever, cough and/or shortness of breath. If your child is showing these symptoms or has had possible exposure to COVID-19 (either through a contact with a known exposure or through recent travel abroad) we ask that you please keep your child home from camp.

Below is an image of additional illness signs to look for:

(Image borrowed from Middletown Area School District What if I need to cancel?

In order to promote illness prevention, we have adjusted our cancellation policy for the 2020 Critter Camp season.

• For cancellations made at least 14 days prior to the camp start date, you may choose between a refund minus a 10% administrative fee provided to your credit card OR a full refund to your registration account’s balance.

• For cancellations made less than 14 days prior to the program’s start date, we will

provide a full credit to your registration account balance.

• To promote good public health, we are willing to credit $35 per sick day to your account. To receive this credit, you must contact us the day before or by 9:00am the day of camp to let us know your child will be absent that day due to illness.

Updated May 8, 2020

• If your child ends up canceling for a full week due to illness, we will work with you to

see if there is space is available in another Summer Camp session, after the period of illness is over. Rescheduling due to illness is subject to availability.

• Registration account balances can be used at a later date for any of our other

camps. It may also be used for other education programs, such as birthday parties or group tours.

If your family has experienced financial hardships during this time, or has immunocompromised related concerns, please reach out to us for further discussion. Otherwise, keeping the funds as credit allows us to use program fees to continue our support and care of our animal ambassadors during this time.

If you would like to request a cancellation, please email education@rescueranch.com and provide the following information:

• Your child’s first and last name • The program and session date (ex: Elementary Adventure Land June 15-19)

Please note that cancellation requests may take several days to process. What else is being offered this summer? We’re glad you asked! If you are unable to attend camp this year or are looking for some other fun things to do, we have a few other options for your family to experience Rescue Ranch in a different way:

1. Critter Camp Un-Caged!! – We will be providing different boxes with games and activities for your animal lovers. Each box will include a Critter Camp shirt and access to a webpage with virtual animal presentations. There are also some fun extra items that can be added to any box. These box activities are able to be done on your own time and are a great gift for the animal lover in your life. Stay tuned for more details.

2. Private Tours – We will be doing tours for up to 10 people 2 times per day. Only one tour will be going on at a time and the room being used for the tour will be cleaned and sanitized in between tours. Families will be able to pick the species of animals they would like to interact with. Families also have access to the nature trails and playground at the end of the tour. These must be scheduled in advance. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for kids.

Should local or federal regulations change, we will act accordingly and keep you informed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Stacey Foreman Humane Education Director Email: education@rescueranch.com (Primary form of communication) Phone: 704-768-0909