FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Registration Questions

  • Children currently (Spring 2024) in kindergarten through 6th grade are eligible to attend Camp. Children must have completed one year of kindergarten and be entering first grade in Fall 2024 to be registered for Summer Camp 2024.

    Junior High students who are entering 8th and 9th grades in Fall 2024 are welcome to apply for our Counselor in Training Program. For more information, visit the CIT page.

  • There is a $15 non-refundable registration fee due per child at the time of registration. T

    The weekly rate for Summer Camp 2024 is $195 per child, per week. Tiered pricing is applied for multiple sessions: $195/week for 1-3 weeks registered, $180/week for 4-8 weeks registered, or $165/week for 9+ weeks registered.

    A 10% discount per sibling applies when you register additional children from the same household for the same session of Camp.

    Any 4-day/holiday weeks are $165.

  • Part-time enrollment is available on a very limited basis at each camp location. As part-time enrollment he available on a first-come, first-serve basis, we recommend registering right away when registration opens. When the part-time spots are full, no additional spots will be added.

    The part-time rate for 2024 is $135 per camper, per session. Part-time enrollment is 3 days or less attendance within a week of Camp.

  • There will be a $15 registration fee per camper due when you begin the enrollment process. This fee is non-refundable and will apply to each child in your family.

    Our weekly camp fee is $195/camper, with tiered pricing as follows:

    • $195/week for 1-3 weeks registered

    • $180/week for 4-8 weeks registered

    • $165/week for 9+ weeks registered

    Payments will be due in installments along the way, with a 10% deposit due when you register, 50% due 3 weeks out from the start date of each session, and the remaining balance due 1 week before the beginning of each session.

    You will be prompted to select a payment option to take care of your summer camp balance when you register. We have a variety of automatic payment plans to choose from to make the process convenient for your family.

    You can choose an autopay plan that breaks your summer balance down into regular payments, or you can self-pay with cash/chec

    If you choose self-pay (or pay at camp), please note that all payments are due in advance for each week your child is registered for Camp. Please plan ahead to submit payments to us on time each week. You are welcome to make payments via your account online or use the provided envelopes and drop box at the camper sign-in table instead.

  • Yes! We understand that schedules can change between the time you register your child and when they actually start at Camp, so we do our best to be flexible with changes.

    Schedule changes/cancelations submitted before the refund deadline for each session are eligible for a refund credit. The refund credit availability will require your written request for change/cancelation to be submitted before the corresponding deadline(s). All schedule changes must be made in writing and sent via email to hello@cocusa.org.

    More information about payment and refund policies for 2024 can be found here.

  • A $15 non-refundable registration fee is charged per child at the time of enrollment. The Weekly Camp Fee for each session is eligible for a refund per our Standard Refund Policy.

    If you cancel a session more than 3 weeks out, 100% of your weekly Camp Fee can be refunded. If you cancel a session 7-20 days before the first day of that session, you will be eligible to receive 50% of your paid fees back. If you cancel 6 or less days before beginning of the session, no refund will be issued.

    More information about the 2024 refund policy is available here.

    If you communicate with us about your schedule change in writing (by email to hello@cocusa.org) before the cancellation deadline(s), we can refund the amount you prepaid.

    If you still have an unpaid balance OR have future enrolled weeks that are not yet paid for, this amount will remain on your account as a credit to go toward your upcoming tuition payment(s).

    All cancellation requests and any requests for refunds should be made in writing via email (hello@cocusa.org). All refunds are mailed in the form of a check within 2 weeks of the refund request.

  • There is no maximum or minimum requirement for the summer. You can register for as many weeks of camp that are available at the time we receive your registration request.

    If our programs are full for any weeks you desire, we can place your child on a waiting list and talk through some of our other locations to see if they would be an option for your family.

    A tiered rate is available when you register for multiple sessions of Camp this summer. The tiered pricing is as follows:

    • $195/week for 1-3 weeks registered

    • $180/week for 4-8 weeks registered

    • $165/week for 9+ weeks registered

  • We offer financial assistance through two funds made possible by donations from generous friends of Camp. Anyone is welcome to apply.

    More details about our financial assistance program can be found on our Financial Assistance page.

  • We do not currently accept payments from Childcare Connection.

    If you are enrolling a child who is currently in foster care, please note that we do not accept payments from DCFS or CCAP funding at this time.

    Any family is welcome to apply for Financial Assistance through our available funds, and we are happy to talk with your agency caseworker about alternative payment options.

  • 36-4182499. Please email us at hello@cocusa.org if you need a receipt for a flexible spending account, tax return, or any other reason - we'd be happy to help!

  • Our summer day camp program runs the majority of the time that kids are out of school.

    Summer Camp 2024 will run from late May to mid-August when kids return to school. For most sites, the first day of Camp is the day following Memorial Day (except Pekin Camp which begins June 3rd).

  • In September 2023 we moved our main office from Downtown Peoria to our Pekin Camp facility located at 3009 Broadway in Pekin. While our Pekin Camp office isn't staffed on a regular basis, we can always be reached by email at hello@cocusa.org or by phone at (309)688-1816.

    We have several camp locations that are available all summer long across the Central IL area. You can read about all of our current Camp locations and see which location works best for your family at www.cocusa.org/locations.

  • Registration is available online at www.cocusa.org.

programming Questions

  • Everything we do at Camp is designed to give campers a safe, fun, and Jesus-centered experience. Campers participate in activities throughout the day both with their group (of 7-10 campers around their age) and in their larger team (2 groups combined). While we do plenty of high-energy classic camp games, we also mix in times for creativity, learning, and Bible lessons.

    There are a few key activities that make Camp special each week:

    SKILLS provides campers with a chance to learn and participate in the skill of their choice. Some Skills we are looking forward to this summer are Soccer, Robotics, Comedy, Flag Games & more!

    CAMP ADVENTURES occur a couple of times each week and campers participate in them along with their Team. Some examples of Camp Adventures are: Giant Legos, slip ‘n slide, and creating team banners!

    BIBLE TIME is an important part of every day, as campers learn about our Bible lesson for the day. Our curriculum this summer is designed to present the Gospel in a unique way from start to finish each week of the summer, helping campers establish a foundation of faith in Jesus.

  • Our normal program hours are 9:00am-4:00pm each weekday during the summer. You can drop your child off as early as 7:30am and pick them up as late as 5:30pm each day. 7:30am-5:30pm care is included in the regular weekly rate of Camp.

  • Campers are divided into groups of 7-10 children by their. Each group is led by a Counselor for the entire week of camp. Groups of campers are organized into Teams and led by a Team Lead for large group activities. A Site Director oversees the daily program at each Camp of Champions USA location, and is available to help you and answer your questions throughout the summer.

    We ensure our staff have the maturity, program skills, and abilities to make Camp a safe, fun, and Jesus-centered experience for your child. Most Counselors are high school students, while Team Leads and Site Directors are college students.

  • Our staff to camper ratio is generally 1 staff member for every 7 campers.

  • We provide for child safety in two main ways. First, all of our staff applicants are vetted with a process that includes an application, interview, at least two references, and a background check.

    Second, we set up various systems and procedures to protect children while at Camp. Our Top Five Rules keep everyone safe - "Groups of 3," "Be a Leader," "Good Touch, Bad Touch," "Good Words, Bad Words," and "Treat It Right." If you'd like a further explanation of our safety system or rules, feel free to contact us!

  • Make sure to have completed a Health and Safety Form and Swim Form for your camper (this is done during registration or at any point via your parent camp account).

    Please send them with a sack lunch, water bottle, tennis shoes, and sunscreen. You'll be all set for a great first day!

  • When you arrive, look for the Site Director who will be near the sign-in table during drop off and pick up times. On your camper's first day, we ask you to fill out a Health and Safety form and a Swim Form if you have not done so already.

    Your child will be introduced to his or her Counselor who will get them connected to other campers in their group. We want you to feel comfortable leaving your child in our care, so please ask the Site Director for help if you need anything at all.

  • We ask that you send a sack lunch with your child Monday-Friday (that doesn’t need refrigeration or heating).

    We’ll provide a small snack each day in the afternoon, and generally limit eating to lunch time and before and after camp (you are welcome to pack an extra snack for them to enjoy after camp, if you’d like).

    We do not provide breakfast, so please feed your child breakfast before dropping him or her off.

  • We love the chance to develop junior high students and develop them as leaders and as followers of Jesus.

    Our Counselor in Training program (better known as "CIT") has been a great opportunity for these young leaders to spend a summer with us preparing to be a Counselor on our summer staff team once they enter high school.

    Junior High students who are entering 8th and 9th grades in Fall 2024 are welcome to apply for our Counselor in Training Program. For more information about the program, visit the CIT page.

  • We offer Winter Camp during the months of December and January.

  • In 2024, there is no additional fee for field trips, as each week includes a field trip and the weekly rate reflects that. The only exception to this is holiday weeks or the first week of Camp at a site.

    If your session includes a field trip, we'll communicate the details of each field trip ahead of time in your weekly newsletter so you know what to expect.

  • If your child becomes sick while at Camp, our camp staff will contact you to talk about next steps. For minor things like small headaches or a mild upset stomach, we'll do our best to help them feel better with an activity break, icepack, or a big drink of water (gotta stay hydrated!). If their symptoms are more serious or seem to be progressing, we'll ask you to come pick them up from Camp.

    In order to be at Camp, your child should be free from fever, vomiting, and diarrhea for 24 hours without the use of medication. Any rashes should be cleared by a physician. You will be contacted if your child exhibits any signs of illness while at Camp (such as a fever over 100 degrees, diarrhea, undiagnosed rash, vomiting, etc.).