Sean McGee (Photo by Jay Paul)
Midlothian resident Teresa McGee calls her son Sean’s respite weekends at Greater Richmond ARC’s Camp Baker his “man cave.” Sean, who is 26, has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, which is considered a high-functioning form of autism. He wasn’t one to socialize during his high school years, but Camp Baker has changed that. Sean would be a “sadder, more moody person without Camp Baker,” his mother says. “It’s given him a sense of independence where he’s doing things on his own. It’s his ‘bachelor’ time.”
An individual with Asperger’s struggles with misunderstandings in communication, which can affect participation in friendships, sports, and social events. And diagnosing an individual with Asperger’s can be challenging. “They are all over the learning charts in testing,” Teresa says, “almost genius in something of their interest, and very behind in others. It makes it difficult for them to fit in.”
Sean McGee and his mother, Teresa (Photo by Jay Paul)
Sean’s weekends at Camp Baker give him a break from the household routine and offer a safe place with familiar faces. “Sean is now feeling confident in self-care away from home,” his mother reports, “including social behavior issues, communication and self-esteem.” And most helpful for Teresa is that Sean’s respite weekends free her to spend time with her mother, for whom she is also the primary caregiver.
Families of children who have disabilities and special needs deal with an inordinate amount of stress, which can affect the family dynamic. Teresa McGee and other parents with special-needs children see respite weekends as a win-win tool: the children return home happy and looking forward to their next respite weekend, and the family has had a chance to recharge.
Camp Baker provides a summer camp experience and also year-round respite services to Richmond-area families who have members with special needs. The camp offers 22 acres of woodlands off Beach Road in Chester near Pocahontas State Park. It’s marking its 60th year in 2017 as a facility for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its predecessor was known as the W.W. Baker Summer Camp, a respite center for undernourished children that opened in 1929. The name was shortened to Camp Baker in 1957 after Chesterfield County assumed ownership with the facility run by ARC, and to date, Camp Baker is a unique environment that focuses on individual care as well as group participation.
“To the best of my knowledge we are the only camp in or around the Tri-Cities who offer a combination of overnight/day camp to adults and children of varying intellectual and developmental disabilities,” says Matthew Hulcher, director of Camp Baker Services.
Lucas, a camper doing some arts and crafts (Photo courtesy Greater Richmond ARC)
ARC was a natural for the job. Its mission is to create opportunities for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities through the creation of a community that allows those with disabilities to live healthfully and safely, enjoy economic independence, live where they choose, and participate in activities that create a fulfilling life.
Families of children who have disabilities consider Camp Baker to be a lifesaver, not only for the camping experience and other activities it offers, but also for the opportunities it affords caregivers to take a break from the stress that comes with parenting a special-needs child or adult.
The camp is a fully accessible, barrier-free environment. Its facilities include a dining hall, an amphitheater and cabins. Camp Baker provides weekly day and overnight summer camps for children age 6 through adult, respite care, adult day support, and after-school services. Camp Baker plans for 55 days of emergency respite care per year, dependent upon a family’s circumstances.
Families can use respite care as often as needed. If a Medicaid waiver is used, they are limited to the number of hours they are allotted each year. Camp Baker offers one youth weekend for respite each month.
One of the rewarding benefits of Camp Baker is the campers’ positive interaction with others and the experience of being part of a group and making new friends. “Camp Baker offers a ‘typical’ camp experience,” says Emily Lehmann, assistant vice president of Day and Residential Services. “We offer swimming, horseback riding, paddle boating, arts and crafts, music, sport activities, hiking, nature classes, and a talent show.”
With so much activity, the campers can work up an appetite. “We have a fully operational dining facility where our chef prepares three meals a day for our campers and camp staff during the summer camp season,” Hulcher says, “and meals are also provided throughout the year for individuals receiving respite services.” Camp Baker staff members are cognizant of each camper’s diet; Teresa McGee says she is grateful for the attention the counselors give to Sean’s gluten and wheat allergies.
Camp Baker also offers canoeing. (Photo courtesy Greater Richmond ARC)
Campers and Costs
ARC served 376 youths and adults during summer camp in 2016; the goal for summer camp for 2017 is at least 402. In 2015, ARC served 107 individuals for respite care services, and has served 126 through the end of the third quarter of 2016. Six overnight weekend sessions for adults were also held. The goal for respite care in 2017 is at least 130. Eighteen-year-olds can enroll either as a youth or an adult, depending on family circumstances.
A week of overnight summer camp costs $900. Weekend stays cost $325 and respite care is $13.43 per hour. Scholarships are available for both summer camp and respite care, based on need.
According to the 2015 ARC Annual Report, Camp Baker respite and summer camp revenues were $684,000; expenses were $1,063,000.
Giving Back
Sometimes the confidence and self-esteem built at Camp Baker allows camp participants to give back to the community. “Sean is now involved in volunteering at the Meals on Wheels program, the Salvation Army Church and FeedMore through his day support program, which previously he wasn’t able to do,” says his mother. “Sean is active at our church and now enjoys social settings and crowds. And the most exciting news for Sean is a new job opportunity in the near future. Camp Baker has helped him to reach a lot of the milestones he missed in school socially and personally. Sean truly enjoys his time with his Camp Baker buddies; I don’t know what we’d do without it.”
“He does love those guys.”
For more information about Camp Baker, please call 748-4789 or visit richmondarc.org.
