Camp Connection

for foster and adoptive families

with

Carla DeRose

AUGUST 15-20, 2010

A Camp for Families
Working on Attachment

Camp Connection provides a week of professionally-led family and camp fun. The week is designed to provide parenting skills and one-on-one coaching to help children with attachment issues be respectful, responsible, and fun to be around. Most group participants have adopted, or are adopting, children from the foster care system or foreign orphanages. The Mt. Cross Staff of cleared and trained college youth counselors will lead activities for children while parents particpate in the trainings. During afternoons and evenings they will also lead worship and fun activities for the entire camp. Be part of the 2010 Camp Connection and learn a new approach to effective parenting for your children and enjoy meeting other families at camp!

The Curriculum will stress the following basic areas of regulation-focused parenting for the labor-intensive child and will include the hands-on support of Help One Child’s trained “Tune-Up Crew” throughout the day to reinforce the principles:

Competency. Parents will receive training in identifying their child(ren)’s competency needs, whether they be academic, social, or basic living skills including creative approaches to developing self-esteem and resilience.

Self-Regulation. Dysregulation impedes learning. Parents will be taught intervention skills and transition training with practical approaches.

Bonding. Practical hands-on activities and exercises will be offered for both parent(s) and child(ren) to get around the resistance to closeness.

Character Development. Parents will identify the characteristics they want their child to display (sincerity, honesty, integrity, etc.) and learn how to encourage them to create and display these behaviors.

Parent Support. Your will learn to identify who you are as an individual and, if you are married, as a member of the caregiver team. Designed to help both couples and single adults.

About our speaker: Carla DeRose, MFT, has been instrumental in the expansion of the Help One Child model in the Sacramento area.  An adoptive parent herself, Carla boldly specializes in realistic boundary setting and hands-on practices that can be effective for life.  She has recently completed a four-part teaching series that she is willing to adapt for our residential family camp at Mt. Cross Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains August 15^th – 20^th.

The Mt. Cross facility:

The campsite is operated by Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of Northern California. It includes a swimming pool, sand volleyball court, softball field, several trails for hiking, and creek walking on the 105 acre property. Families will have the exclusive use of the facility for the week. All lodging is on site in a rustic environment. Families will be assigned to their own room in a lodge or cabin setting according to family size and available accommodations. The staff at Mt. Cross will prepare three meals a day and lead games and family activities designed to build trust and strengthen the family bond.

There will also be plenty of free time to relax. Each day will conclude with worship around the campfire.

Check in at Mt. Cross with Help One Child Staff between 3:00-4:30 on Sunday, August 15th. All Camp Orientation at 5:00 sharp. Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. Check-out is Friday, August 20 following lunch.

Directions To Mt Cross: From San Jose take Hwy 17 South to the Mt. Hermon/Glen Canyon exit in Scotts Valley. Exit to the right and follow Mt. Hermon Rd. through the town of Scotts Valley and continue about 3 miles to the end of Mt. Hermon Rd. Turn right onto Graham Hill Rd. and stay in the right lane. At the light (which is Highway 9), make another right. The Camp is about 1.5 miles from that point on the left hand side. There is a large Mt Cross sign on the highway marking the entrance to the camp.

Mt Cross,  7795 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, CA 95005

Fee Information:

The fee of $250 per person is all inclusive (lodging, food, craft materials, camp activities and training costs). Children under 5 years are free.

A limited number of families can attend, so contact us now if you are interested. Reservations are confirmed upon receipt of your security deposit (40% of your family’s cost). Deposits are non-refundable.  The balance is due no later than August 1st unless special arrangements are confirmed via email from Help One Child.

For More Information Contact: Judy Holmes 650-917-1210 or judy@helponechild.org