Our Mission

IsSummerCampSafe.com exists for one reason: to help parents make informed decisions about where they send their children.

Every year, millions of children attend summer camps, youth programs, wilderness experiences, and residential programs across Missouri, Illinois, and the United States. The vast majority of these programs are well-run and safe. But some are not — and the information parents need to tell the difference is scattered across government databases, court records, and accreditation systems that most families never think to check.

We built this site to bring that information together in one place.

What We Do

  • Camp Safety Lookup: Our free lookup tool searches publicly available records — DHSS licensing data, ACA accreditation databases, published court records, and news reports — to provide parents with a camp’s safety profile.

  • Parent Guides: We publish thoroughly researched guides on camp safety topics, from warning signs to watch for to your rights if your child is injured.

  • Regulatory Information: We explain how Missouri’s camp licensing system works, what it covers, and — just as importantly — what it doesn’t cover.

What We Are Not

We are not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice, and we do not solicit clients. If you need legal help, consult a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction.

We are not affiliated with any camp or camp association. We do not accept advertising from camps, and camps cannot pay to alter or remove their information from our database.

We are not anti-camp. Summer camp can be one of the best experiences of a child’s life. We believe that parents making informed choices leads to better camps for everyone.

Who We Are

IsSummerCampSafe.com is operated by Rights Watch Media Group LLC, an information services company focused on public safety research and reporting. Our team includes researchers with backgrounds in public records analysis, child safety advocacy, and investigative journalism.

Our Data Standards

All information on this site comes from publicly available sources:

  • Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) — licensing records and inspection reports
  • American Camp Association (ACA) — accreditation database
  • Missouri Case.net and Illinois Judici — published court records
  • U.S. Center for SafeSport — disciplinary database
  • Published news reports from established media outlets

We do not use private or confidential information. We do not access sealed court records. We report what is publicly available.

When we cite statistics, we cite our sources. When data is incomplete or uncertain, we say so.

Contact

For questions about this site, corrections, or to report inaccurate information:

Email: info@issummercampsafe.com

We take data accuracy seriously. If you believe any information on this site is inaccurate, please contact us with specific details and we will investigate and correct as warranted.

IsSummerCampSafe.com is a project of Rights Watch Media Group LLC.