Camp Enrollment Policies

Eligibility

Children who have completed 2^nd  or 3^rd grade are eligible for our 2-week “Taste of Ramah” program, designed for first-time campers. Children who have completed at least 3^rd grade are eligible to attend a single 4-week summer session. Children who have completed at least 5^th grade are eligible to attend a Full Summer (8-week session). Returning campers entering 11^th grade may apply for the Gesher Leadership Development Institute and are required to attend Camp for 8 weeks.

Through the Henry and Annette Gibson Tikvah Support Program, Ramah Darom supports campers with physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, ADHD, and anxiety disorders. Support is offered at no additional fee and is available to campers of all ages during 2, 4 and 8-week sessions. Learn more about Tikvah Support.

Application for Enrollment

By submitting your camper’s application, you are accepting responsibility for payment of the full tuition for your camper’s enrollment. Campers will be considered enrolled once their completed application and Camper Profile has been received and reviewed by our camper care team. Occasionally it is determined that Ramah Darom is not the right fit for a child. If this should happen, the family will receive a full refund of any fees paid.

Jewish Education

Ramah Darom campers are immersed in Jewish living in a way that impacts their life outside of Camp. Connecting campers’ experiences at Camp with their life outside of Camp will help to deepen and strengthen their Jewish identity. Participation in a program of supervised, formal Jewish learning to complement the summer is a critical component (day school, synagogue school, Hebrew High, online courses, etc). Therefore we require that our campers commit to Jewish learning outside of the home beyond the summer.

New this year, a $100 refundable application fee will be charged upon submission of your application. This fee will be applied towards your tuition.

Once you receive your camper’s enrollment confirmation, we will process a first payment per camper of $800 ($200 for 2-week sessions). Families can then choose to pay the full remaining balance due immediately or choose a monthly payment plan. Monthly payments will be due on the first of each month, with the final payment due on May 1, 2020.

Credit card usage incurs a fee of 2.5%, but this fee will be waived on your application fee and first payment.

Payment of all fees is due by May 1, 2021. Accounts not paid in full by May 1, 2021 will be assessed a $125 late payment fee. In order to attend Camp, all fees must be paid in full before the session begins. There will be no exceptions to this policy without prior arrangements with our Controller, Susan Perlman.

If you rolled-over or donated your 2020 tuition, once your enrollment application has been confirmed, you will be able to access your updated financial information on your CircuiTree dashboard including your family’s adjusted tuition (since you’ve been guaranteed the same tuition fees as 2020) and indicating your roll-over amount applied to 2021.

2021 Tuition Rates

There may be charges for additional services added to your account at a later date including bus transportation to and from Camp, airplane baggage charges and medical expenses.

2021 First Payment

The first payment is due upon confirmation of camper enrollment. 

Changes & Cancellations

All cancellations or changes to enrollment status must be submitted on the Parent Portal. Requests for changes made by phone or email will not be honored. 

Requests for changes from one 4-week Session to another may be made without penalty pending available space. Changes from Full Summer to a single 4-week Session, a 4-week Session to “Taste of Ramah” or full cancellation, will be subject to the following non-refundable, non-transferable fees.

Changes or cancellations due to COVID-19: We are planning for a full return to Camp in summer 2021. Should we be required to limit summer attendance, or in the event the Ramah Darom Medical Committee or the Georgia Department of Health determine we are not able to operate Camp in 2021 due to COVID-related issues, we will offer full refunds to all affected families. However, if a family chooses to voluntarily withdraw prior to any cancellation announcement, or if a family chooses to voluntarily withdraw even if it has been determined we can safely operate Camp, they will be subject to the standard cancellation policy above. In these cases, we will address each situation individually and make exceptions only where there would be a clear medical risk to the camper as determined by the Chair of our Medical Committee.  We appreciate your understanding and will communicate any changes, if required, as early as possible.

Refund Policy

There is no tuition refund for voluntary withdrawals after May 1, 2021. Each camper must arrive in good health and all campers must agree to Camp Ramah Darom’s rules of behavior including those outlined in the Camp Brit (Covenant) found in the Parent-Camper Handbook.

If a camper is dismissed for a behavioral infraction there will be no refund. In the event any camper is dismissed involuntarily from Camp as a result of a parent/guardian’s failure to provide accurate or complete behavioral and or medical information, there will be no refund. There is no pro-rating of tuition for campers who need to arrive late or who depart Camp before the end of the session.

Campers who withdraw prior to a session for documented health emergencies will be eligible for a full refund, less a $300 administrative fee. Campers withdrawn during a session for medical reasons will have a pro-rated portion of tuition refunded, after a $900 withdrawal fee.

Peace of Mind Coverage

This year we are fortunate to be able to offer our families Peace of Mind coverage through AMSkier Insurance. This policy will enable you to recoup your lost investment for the unused, non-refundable Camp tuition if your camper cannot attend camp or must leave Camp early for reasons such as illness/injury to the camper or an immediate family member or the death of a family member, and more. Learn more.

Click here to download a PDF

Ramah Darom  Vaccination Requirements

We require that all children, staff and families planning to attend a program at Ramah Darom adhere to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) or the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) as outlined in 2020 US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) Recommended Immunization Schedules.

If you are not sure which vaccines you or your child(ren) have received, please ask your health care provider.

Note: Not all states have the same requirements, but ALL CDC recommended immunizations are required at Ramah Darom.

Vaccination Exceptions

There are exceptions to the Ramah Darom vaccination policy, but they are extremely rare. We recognize that individuals who have had a documented allergy or severe adverse reaction to a particular vaccine may not be able to complete the immunization schedule outlined by the AAP and the CDC. Additionally, individuals with medical conditions such as congenital immunodeficiency or HIV, cancer and who are receiving chemotherapy, transplant patients, and persons receiving immunosuppressive drugs and chronic steroids also may not be able to receive certain vaccines. In these extremely rare circumstances, current documentation from a Physician (MD or DO), or a Pediatric/Family Practice Advanced Practice Nurse (ARNP or PNP), describing the reason for exemption from immunization must be furnished to Ramah Darom. We are happy to discuss case by case management of these extremely rare circumstances of medical contraindication to partial or complete vaccination.

All requests for exemption will be reviewed by our Medical Chair, in consultation with the National Ramah medical committee.

As part of our effort to promote a supportive, caring community, we ask each family to make a minimum voluntary donation of $360 to our Annual Fund to ensure the availability of financial aid and to support outstanding programs for our campers. Our community goal is to achieve 100% participation. This contribution may qualify for your employer’s matching gift program. Please forward the appropriate form if this option is available to you.