Camp FAQs

From July 31 - Aug 3 2025 our camp will be held at the Fort Bluff Campground in Dayton, TN for the third year in a row! Volunteers will be required to arrive on July 30th for training.

Hope's Haven opens our camp to children ages 7-17 who would struggle to thrive in a typical camp environment. Applications open for camper registration on January 1st and will be open until spots are filled. After that, a child can apply to be on the waiting list. 

Camp will be $500 for overnight campers and $125/day for day campers. Payment is due in full prior to the start of camp. Payments can be made in full or in installments. Once your child's application is accepted, an invoice will be sent via email. The cost covers lodging, food, and activities for the entirety of camp. Scholarships are available for families in need. Please reach out to collins@hopeshaventn.com to learn more. 

After conducting research of comparable programs across Tennessee and Georgia, we discovered that our new rates more accurately reflect the market average. Our operating expenses have also risen due to rental price surges and insurance premium changes. Hope’s Haven expects to spend upwards of $1,300 per child to put on our summer camp. These costs stem from the campground rental, summer staff wages, insurance, CPI training costs, and various necessary medical supplies.

Hope's Haven raises money throughout the year to cover the majority of the cost it takes to house, feed, and train volunteers. To help offset this cost, volunteers will be required to pay $90 at the time of application. Early registration, through March 31, will be $75. This is nonrefundable if you withdraw from volunteering. 

Oftentimes, behavioral problems accompany children with disabilities. At Hope's Haven we are prepared to handle this with care. We train our staff and leadership in Crisis Prevention Intervention (the industry standard for non-violent behavioral management). We have nurses, therapists, and other trained professionals available at camp to handle most behaviors. While most children, even those with behavioral concerns, are appropriate for camp, children who are excessively physically aggressive and violent are not appropriate for Hope's Haven. Please see our safety plan for more information on how Hope's Haven handles aggressive behaviors prior to and at camp. 

Of course! At Fort Bluff Campground there is a full kitchen staff and kitchen, able to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions. If your child has needs that are atypical (i.e. they only eat a specific brand of chicken nuggets for dinner, or will not take their medication with a specific drink) we may request that the parent provide the food items, but Hope's Haven will prepare the food within reason. Specifics will be assessed for and noted on the camper application.

We do our best to accommodate volunteer requests. Notate the volunteer you are interested in having your child be paired with on your application. 

No phones, tablets, or electronic gaming consoles are allowed at camp. Volunteers may bring their devices, but they will be turned in before campers arrive and will be returned upon camper departure. Exceptions are for communication needs if a camper uses an electronic device to communicate. If there is an urgent need for a volunteer or camper to call someone they will be allowed to do so. We restrict phone usage for campers and volunteers to reduce distractions, promote community, and maintain safety of campers.

Volunteers must be 16+. Junior volunteers (14 & 15) will be accepted, but they will not be paired directly with a camper and instead be in a supportive role. 

Volunteers are not required to have previous experience or training with children with special needs/disabilities. 

Because we do not require previous experience, volunteers MUST attend a full day of training prior to camper arrival (July 30th). If you cannot attend this training in full, you will not be permitted to volunteer at Hope's Haven.

Your child is not required to be a Christian to attend camp. Hope's Haven is a Christ-centered camp. This means we have daily devotionals, sing worship music, and pray. We align ourselves with the teaching of Christ and aim to share His love and wisdom with the children in our care.

We do not allow parents/guardians to volunteer if their child is in attendance at camp. A core part of our mission is to provide parents respite, and so we encourage parents/guardians to seek rest while their child is at camp, knowing that they are in good hands. 

Hope's Haven hires a limited number of staff members to lead volunteers at camp. Staff applications will be available beginning January 1st.