Youth and Children’s FAQ

Why are you making changes to the Youth and Children’s camps?

The two main reasons for these changes involve safety and growth.

Firstly, CMS wants to ensure Camp MMM and Milimani can proceed with the utmost duty of care for your children. The changes reflect our commitment to uphold Safe Ministry standards and operate in a COVID-19 conscientious way. We pray these changes will minimise the risk of having to cancel camps this year and that they will give you peace of mind for your child’s safety.

Secondly, CMS wants to build capacity for growth into our Youth and Children’s programs. Currently, space on our camps is limited. By modifying the structure of our camps, we hope to provide opportunities for more young people to grow their hearts for Jesus and his mission each year.

What are the changes to the Youth and Children’s camps?

The three main changes CMS is making to the Youth and Children’s program are as follows:

1. Structure and duration of camps

• Camp Milimani will now be offered to children in years 4-6 and will run for three days.
• Unchanged in 2022, Camp MMM will be open to both Juniors (years 7-9) and Seniors (years 10-12). However, in 2023 CMS plans to divide the High School program into three groups (years 7-8, years 9-10 and years 11-12).

2. Timing of camps

In 2022:

• Camp Milimani will run in the first week of the term 3 school holidays as per previous years.
• Camp MMM Juniors will run in the second week of the term 3 school holidays for four days.
• Camp MMM Seniors will run in the first week of the term 2 school holidays as per previous years.

From 2023:

• Camp Milimani (years 4-6) will be held in the April school holidays.
• Camp MMM (years 7-8) will be held in the first week of the term 3 school holidays.
• Camp MMM (years 9-10) will be held in the second week of the term 3 school holidays.
• Camp MMM (years 11-12) will be held in the first week of the term 2 school holidays.

3. Transport to camps

From 2022, leaders will no longer be permitted to accompany children on public transport to the campsite. Parents and carers will need to make their own arrangements regarding transporting children to and from camps.

CMS has implemented this change to comply with Safe Ministry standards, ensuring that all youth and children have appropriate supervision at all times.

What are the camp dates for 2022?

Camp MMM Seniors (years 10-12) will run from 4-8 July 2022
(Registration opening 12 April).

Camp Milimani (years 4-6) will run from 27-29 September 2022.

Camp MMM Juniors (years 7-9) will run from 4-7 October 2022.

What are the camp dates for 2023?

The proposed dates for the 2023 Youth and Children’s camps are as follows:

Camp Milimani (School years 4-6) – 18-20 April 2023.

Camp MMM (School years 11-12) – 3-7 July 2023.

Camp MMM (School years 7-8) – 26-29 September 2023.

Camp MMM (School years 9-10) – 3-6 October 2023.

How will these changes make the camps more COVID-19 safe?

By shifting at least some of the camps to warmer months, CMS hopes to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in Winter months. We also hope to move camp activities outdoors as much as possible.

We relied on public transport to get our children to camp. What options do we have now?

Public transport is still available, but an adult will be required to be present to ensure that all youth and children have appropriate supervision at all times. Car-pooling is also an option, and it is possible for a parent/guardian to give to sign your child in or out of camp (please note: this permission needs to be presented in writing at the registration desk upon arrival at camp).

If a camper who is P-plate driver is driving themselves to camp, they will need to provide written permission from their parent/guardian upon presentation at the registration desk.

What do these changes mean for camp directors and leaders?

These changes will assist camp leaders to better focus on leading and connecting with youth and children attending camps. CMS is aware that there may be added complexity for families with multiple children across different age groups, however the possibility of having better-equipped leaders will hopefully mitigate this complexity.

Before camp

Will my child have to complete a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) before attending camp?

Yes. CMS requires all youth and children to return a negative RAT result within no more than 48 hours prior to attending camp.
CMS also strongly encourages each camper to bring a RAT to camp to assist in the event that a youth or child displays symptoms of COVID-19.

What happens if my child displays symptoms in the week leading up to camp?

We advise that they take a RAT and if this returns a positive result, please contact CMS to discuss a refund of camp fees.

Will my child get to stay with their first roommate preference?

We do our best to accommodate your child’s roommate preference. However, this year there will be less people in each room. To avoid disappointment, try to include a second roommate preference.

Can my child attend camp if they are not vaccinated?

Yes, however we would encourage all children to be vaccinated.

During camp

What happens if a youth or child displays symptoms of COVID-19 at camp?

They will be asked to complete a RAT and to isolate until a parent/guardian can pick them up from camp.

What happens if there is a positive COVID-19 case at camp?

The youth or child who is COVID-19 positive will be asked to isolate until a parent/guardian can pick them up and take them home.
If other campers are deemed to be close contacts, they will also be required to isolate until a parent/guardian picks them up and takes them home.

Camp MMM 2022 Senior High timetables

Timetables for Year 12 and Years 10-11 can be downloaded here.