Accompanying services – Inclusion Support

The recreation department offers a few places for an accompaniment service for children with special needs (autism, ADHD, speech and language disorders, physical and intellectual disabilities, mental health problems). This inclusive program provides children with all the support they need to facilitate their integration into a group, with the help of an accompanier paired with the child. It is possible, depending on the case, for a chaperone to have more than one child in his or her care. That's why it's important to mention the type of accompaniment your child requires. It is the parent's responsibility to inform the staff, at the time of registration, of the type of accompaniment the child requires. 

The program's eligibility criteria are as follows:

• A parent or guardian must be an active member of the regular forces or a DND employee.
• The child requiring support must be between 5 and 12 years of age and have special needs, such as an autism spectrum disorder, a mental health problem, an intellectual or physical disability or a behavioral disorder.
• The child wishes to join a regular group and must be able to function in a group with support.
• Children act in a way that does not compromise their own safety or that of others.
• Before the deadline, the parent or guardian must submit a document outlining an officially recognized diagnosis indicating the limitations and needs to be met, e.g., a child psychiatric evaluation, a neuropsychological evaluation, the IRDPQ form, etc. The document must be signed by the parent or guardian. 
• A child's acceptance into this program is subject to annual review and is not considered automatic for the following year.
• Due to a limited budget, the recreation department will select children according to eligibility criteria. The child's application will therefore be evaluated. It may therefore be possible for a child to be refused accompaniment.
• If the request for accompaniment is accepted, the recreation coordinator will contact the parent(s)/guardian(s) to set up a meeting to obtain more information about the child's needs and explain the program. 
• Your child's summer arrival and departure schedule must be known. 

If your child requires a chaperone for the 2024 summer period, you are invited to complete the chaperone request document when you register. This will help us to better support your child. Before the start of camp, you must come and meet the staff who will be assisting your child, so that he or she can fully develop at our day camp. If you decide not to request a chaperone, and we find that one is needed to support your child's inclusion, we will try to assign a chaperone to your child. In the event that we are unable to offer you the service, due to a lack of resources to help your child, you will have the choice of finding and paying for a chaperone on your own, or being denied access to the day camp.

Parents interested in this service must complete the online or in-person registration form, checking YES to the question "Does your child have special needs requiring specific attention, such as a physical, intellectual or neurological disability, as well as attention or behavioral problems?", and complete the section concerning the request for accompaniment. All forms will be evaluated according to our resources. Our team will contact you by May 6 to follow up on your request.