BCYF Camp Joy
Camp Joy will operate in summer 2023 and is accepting applications now.
BCYF Camp Joy provides high-quality programs for children and young adults with special needs. Camp Joy’s success is due to qualified and dedicated staff. Our structured and enriching programs:
- promote peer-to-peer socialization
- foster individual growth and development, and
- connect participants and their families to new opportunities and valuable community resources.
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ContactRoberta Smalls, Program Manager
Camp Joy Summer Program
The Camp Joy summer program is a four-week, day-long summer camp program. This program is available to Boston residents with disabilities, ages 3 - 15, and their siblings, ages 3 - 7.
Camp Joy provides an inclusive and supportive environment. It includes structured, daily opportunities for participants to make new friends, have fun, learn, and grow during the summer months. The summer offers a variety of enrichment activities designed to:
- promote peer-to-peer socialization
- foster relationship building, and
- support individual growth.
Participants receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch. We also offer door-to-door transportation, eliminating barriers to services. Each BCYF Camp Joy site has a licensed nurse. All program staff are professionally trained and CPR certified.
Program Requirements
- Be between the ages of 3-15 with disabilities;
- Be able to interact in a 4:1 participant to staff ratio;
- Be a Boston resident (proof of residency required );
- Complete application with all documentation and signatures;
- Campers that are not utilizing the bus will be assigned a time for arrival to camp due to social distancing,
Summer 2023 Application
- Program will take place July 10 - August 4, 2023
- Application deadline is Friday, May 5, 2023*
- Incomplete or illegible applications will not be accepted
*Please note: Slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment will close when all slots are filled or by application due date, whichever comes first.
BCYF Camp Joy participant spotlight
Meet David, a/k/a 'Peter Parker,' a Longtime Camp Joy Participant
On a recent Saturday, fresh from an hour of fun in the pool with the Camp Joy Program, sixteen-year-old David sat down on a couch in the teen center. He has been coming to Camp Joy’s summer program for many years. He introduces himself as David Gonzalez, Jr. but he’d prefer to be called “Peter Parker,” the real name of Spider-Man, because he is very into superheroes. His love for them began with the Powerpuff Girls, a children’s cartoon, when he was younger, and has since grown to encompass most if not all superheroes. But his favorite by far is Spider-Man.
