Summer at KEY Policies

All families must register online through the Summer at KEY website. Registration will open to past camp and Key School families on January 16 and to the greater community on January 18. Registrations are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. To create a new account, access an existing one, or make a payment, select the yellow "Register" icon found on the home page and throughout the website.

• Camp and After Care registration will close two Sundays (at 11:59 p.m.) before the start of each camp week. Registrations and changes to existing registrations will not be accepted after this time. Below are the closing dates for each week:

• A non-refundable deposit of $100 for each full-day camp and/or $50 for each half-day camp is due upon registration. Deposits are required to reserve space and are applied to the total cost of the camp. 
• Final payments are due on or before May 15. If registering after May 14, full payment is due upon registration. Campers may not begin a camp if there is a balance due.
• All payments are non-refundable beginning on May 15. Refunds will not be given for any reason for cancellation or withdrawal, including changes in employment or residence, illness, vacation, or other issue. Lost payments cannot be carried over to next year’s summer program or transferred to a sibling's balance or another account.
• Camp fees will not be prorated for partial attendance.
• If your family needs additional time to pay, we do have payment plan options. To set up a payment plan, register for your camp(s) and make the deposit payment(s) to secure space in your camp(s). Contact the camp office at 443-321-2575. Payment plans must be established prior to May 15. In accordance with our refund policies, your are responsible for payment for all camps registered for by May 15 even if you withdraw at a later date.

Camps that reach maximum enrollment move to a waitlist in the online registration system. 

• If you want to add to a waitlist, complete all of the information requested and submit. The camp will show a "Waitlisted" status once you have finished the process.
• Should space become available, families will be emailed in the order in which they are recorded on the waitlist. Families will have 24 hours to accept the spot and will need to make the appropriate payment required to register.
• You can also register for an available camp during the same week you are waitlisted. Your place will be held on the waitlist, and you will be contacted as described above if a spot opens.
• No payment is required for a waitlisted camp.

Families can switch to an available camp session before the registration closing dates (see Registration section above) by completing a Change Request Form.

• A $10 fee will be applied per camper each time a change is made to a registration. This will automatically be processed to the most recently used credit card on file.
• The deposit or full payment made for a camp that is being dropped can be transferred to a new camp being added, but it cannot be transferred to an existing camp registration.
• If switching to a higher priced camp after May 15, the difference in cost and the change fee will automatically be processed on the most recently used credit card on file.
• If switching to a lower priced camp after May 15, refunds will not be given for the difference.
• Withdrawing from a camp completely before May 15 will result in the forfeiture of the non-refundable deposit and after May 15, forfeiture of the full payment. Payments lost due to withdrawal cannot be carried to next year's program or transferred to a sibling's balance or another account.

Summer at KEY is a “nut-restricted” camp. Foods containing any types of nuts are not allowed. Please check the labels on the foods you send.

• Sharing of food between campers is not allowed.
• A camper's birthday is very special, and we understand children love to celebrate with friends. Unfortunately, due to safety protocols, campers are not permitted to bring in food to share.
• In accordance with this policy, all cooking-themed camps utilize nut-free ingredients. Please understand these camps incorporate a variety of food groups, and we cannot accommodate other restrictive food issues or allergies. We suggest you contact us before you register to discuss any other food allergies or restrictions that may be of concern.

Summer at KEY will only cancel camps due to inclement weather if it presents a safety hazard or a loss of water or power. In the event of thunderstorms, campers will be moved safely indoors until the threat of the storm passes. If a thunderstorm and/or other emergency weather occurs during pick-up, campers that have self sign-out in place will not be released until the threat passes and may need to be picked up by a parent/guardian. During excessive heat or unhealthy air quality days, precautions will be taken including, but not limited to, modifying outdoor activities, taking more frequent cooling breaks, and moving activities indoors when appropriate. Campers will be encouraged to take frequent water breaks.

Summer at KEY strives to create a safe and secure environment for every camper and staff member. If inappropriate or disruptive behavior arises, we utilize all available tools to help the camper. Appropriate steps will be determined on a case by case basis, beginning with camp counselor and team member intervention. If the behavior persists, parents/guardians may be called to pick the camper up. Continued inappropriate behavior or more serious infractions could result in dismissal from Summer at KEY programs without a refund or opportunity to re-enroll.

Summer at Key is licensed by the State of Maryland, which requires all campers to be at least 3 ½ years of age and potty-trained in order to attend camp. While we can sometimes make exceptions for grade/age requirements for certain camps, this does not apply to our youngest campers. We can only accept campers who are 3 ½ years old by the week they want to attend camp. Any registered camper that does not meet the minimum age requirement will be contacted by the camp office, and the registration will be cancelled.

In addition, campers must be fully potty-trained prior to the start of their camp week. Our counselors provide our youngest campers with frequent reminders to go to the bathroom and scheduled potty breaks. Classrooms for their camps will have a toilet either in the classroom or just outside the room. We understand potty-training is a process, so if your camper has a routine at home, we encourage you to share that information with the counselor for everyone’s combined benefit. We understand accidents can happen, but repeated accidents may result in early pick up of a camper by a parent/guardian or dismissal from the program.

Following are Summer at Key’s potty-training guidelines:

• Camper wears regular underwear and not training pants or pull-ups. 
• Camper can pull down/up their pants/underwear independently. Counselors can assist with wet bathing suits, difficult buttons, snaps or other fasteners.
• Camper can wipe themselves after using the bathroom.
• Camper can flush the toilet and wash/dry their hands.

Communication to families regarding camp is sent primarily via email.  During the registration process, please make sure your preferred email address is entered into your account.  Communications may include welcome emails with camp details, information regarding waitlists, updates about camper arrival for programs that go off-campus, payment reminders, etc.  We also utilize a text notification system in the event of severe weather or other emergency that may impact the camp drop-off or pick-up. Families will be notified via both text and email in these rare occurrences. Weekly tests are done to make sure we have the correct contact information, but if changes arise after your register, log in to update your information or notify the camp office.