Camp Connect San Diego

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Over the last several years, research has demonstrated that children in foster care who remain connected to their siblings have better outcomes, such as decreased rates of incarceration and homelessness, an increased sense of self-esteem, placement stability, and a higher rate of graduation. Launched in 2008, Camp Connect San Diego is designed to bring together siblings who have been separated by their placement in the foster care system. The program is a public-private partnership between The United Way of San Diego, Promises2Kids (a non-profit that focuses on the foster youth of San Diego County), and was developed and overseen by the County of San Diego, Child Welfare Services (CWS). At Camp Connect events, foster children spend time together participating in activities such as ice skating, attending ball games, and visiting amusement parks, all while basking in and building the bonds that only a sibling relationship can offer. The highlight of the program is the annual four-day overnight camp that takes place in the summer. Sibling bonds are of the utmost importance for youth in adverse circumstances due to the fact that in these settings, siblings become a support network for one another in order to cope with the problems that they each face. When children are placed into foster care, these bonds become even more important as children seek some sort of continuity and stability in their lives. The program has served as an excellent gateway for the public to play a more active role in the foster care system. There were 80 volunteers who helped supervise the program in 2009, and CWS saw that number double to 160 in 2010.