SEN. CABRERA STATEMENT ON OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE RECOMMENDAITONS FOR SUMMER CAMP SAFETY

HARTFORD – Nearly a year after responding to sexual assault charges at a Bethany, CT summer camp and introducing bill language that would have required municipal summer camps to be licensed by the state and have employees undergo criminal back checks, State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) today issued the following statement regarding an Office of Child Advocate report that recommends various changes to Connecticut’s municipal summer camp operations.

The OCA report can be found at: Bethany Summer Camp report.

“The OCA recommendation that all summer camp employees — including those working for town summer camps – be mandated child neglect reporters and receive mandated reporter training, that’s just basic common sense. And the OCA recommendation that all employees receive ‘comprehensive’ background checks, I assume that means criminal background checks. That’s something we asked for in last year’s bill, which didn’t pass.

“Overall, the OCA report addresses some of the concerns in our bill last year. They get to the essence of what we were trying to do, and they really highlight the huge gap between what the State of Connecticut expects from most private camps, and what they expect from town- run camps.

“I know the Children’s Committee has introduced a bill this session to look at the issue of summer camps, and I’ll work to ensure that these OCA recommendations are included in the final bill. It’s the least we can do for our kids.”