Camp Cheerful: Achievement Centers for Children

I was a volunteer in the barn during my exchange year and have so many fun memories. I learned a lot about horses, never had to do anything that I couldn't do and got to help kids and adults while being with horses. The horses are treated very well and the staff is very friendly too. I am so grateful for everything that I got to do and learn at this place. I would recommend this barn to every person that wants to volunteer or that wants to take ridinglessons, because the riders (and volunteers) are treated with love and kindness. Thank you for the great time and everything I got learn and experience

We signed our 7 year old up for 3 weeks at camp cheerful. He is level 3 autistic with speech limitations, who attends year round school at an autism center (where he does very well). We signed up in march for the weeks he would be out during the summer '23. Everyone was raving about them and telling us that CC was a better option for our son's abilities. We had very little communication from Jessica Potts, even to collect payment before camp. Finally, we were able to reach her again before the start date. She had some questions about our son's behavior, which is standard to get a sense of what kind of support a child needs. The payment was processed and we were ready to start on Monday, June 26th. A couple weeks later, June 23rd (The Friday before the start date) around 4 pm, we received a phone call from someone at Camp Cheerful stating they could not take our son this year because of staffing. As parents of special needs kids, this was devastating. He needed somewhere safe where people would understand him and give him the routine, structure, and activity he was used to from school every day. We had to take time off of work unexpectedly. We had to find, conduct interviews, and hire a nanny for the rest of the weeks he was to be off. While working full time jobs and juggling 3 children with autism. We obviously made it work, but it was absolutely one of the most challenging summers. Thanks Camp Cheerful.

All staff are teenagers with summer jobs and no experience just a want a “pursue” higher education supposedly. Then they have these international brats that come on tour and don’t really want to work. The night camp manager breath smells like alcohol but no one will do anything about it. The nursing department is a free for all they weren’t even counting the ADHD meds and saying either they didn’t bring enough or told the parent they mis counted. I had enough said we had to count I got fired because the other nurses didn’t like that. The nurse actually I saw replace a chewable adhd med with something else like candy. Do not send your kids here they don’t ride horses they stay in the blazing sun with minimal water reminders given and not enough AC buildings they have 2 arts and crafts and sensory. Extended school year and overnight use them and the grand pavilion. This is not the place it use to be where the directors were all involved and highly educated. It’s run down and garbage. DO NOT SEND YOUR KID here most come on government waivers! If you notice the 5 star review s are from people in the past year who obviously did not go to Camp cheerful they are fake. One tour’s destinations. Okay good try to buy your way to the top. You suck so does your camp.

Deplorable treatment of disabled children. The camp started Monday June 12, 2023 and not even 30 min into the camp Jessica Potts started calling me telling me I need to pick my son up. I asked what the issue was and she told me “he’s running.” My son has ASD, ADHD and a rare genetic mutation called Jansens de Vries syndrome. This camp should be well equipped to support children like my son but they had 0 interest in doing so. Anyone knows that a child with autism/adhd needs to 1) have time to transition in a new space and 2) be able to trust the people around him. Camp Cheerful did not try to facilitate either. They also refused support from two entities that offered to provide 1on1 aide and then lied to the board of Developmental disabilities telling they can’t support him because they don’t have 1on1 help. Jessica Potts needs to go and the whole staff needs to be revamped. When the camp manager is incompetent you can’t expect the staff to be any better.

We used to love Camp Cheerful. My autistic son attended their summer day camps and weekend respite camps for several years. In the past year, however, he has been turned down after attending only one weekend camp and one day camp because they said they can't handle him. I am told he keeps running off, yet this was never a problem in previous years. When it didn't work out for the weekend camp in the winter, I was assured he was welcome at day camp in the summer. He went one day (today). When I picked him up, everything seemed fine. No one told me then and there that he couldn't return the next day. Instead, I got a call at 7:30 tonight and was told, "They can't handle him." This camp is supposed to be able to handle people of all ages with all disabilities. Excuses about not having the staff are not okay. Parents depend on places like this to have a place to send their special needs kids when school is out. Routine is so very important for these kids! When they say that they can't "handle him," let me be clear. When I picked up my son in January from the weekend camp, it was dark out. As I got out of my van to cross the lot into the building, someone exited the building and walked toward me. It was a special needs adult who was left alone to wander off! I said hello to him and told him to come with me. When we entered, people were just standing around. No one noticed this guy left! So, when they say MY son is wandering off, I have to wonder just how much they are paying attention. Based on other reviews I read on here, it seems there's more an issue with staff being lazy than a shortage of staff. They don't care that the parents work and must totally rearrange their schedules after being told, "Sorry, your son is too much for us to handle." They tell you they're sorry, but if they were really sorry, they'd be willing to work harder with the parents. The parents never get a break, except for programs like these. These programs are supposed to provide the parents and the kids the respite they need. They don't care about your kid enough to try harder. They certainly don't care about the parents' mental health or their jobs or their time with their other kids. Very, very disappointed. We will never send our son here again.