Home / Overnight camps

What is different about overnight camp?

Three differences are quoted on this page: who issues the permit, what the IRS says, and how the operators we read price a stay. Then those operators, in their own words.

Listed, not checked. We have not visited, inspected, rated or endorsed any camp named on this page, and a camp being named here says nothing about how it is run. Each fact is the operator’s or the agency’s own wording, with a link to the page it came from. Read the questions to ask and put them to the camp yourself.

Who regulates it?

The rule names the board of health: No person shall operate or maintain a resident camp without a permit issued by the board of health having jurisdiction. (codes.ohio.gov, effective January 1, 2022) Overnight camp permits quotes the rest of what we read, and says what we did not find in it.

Does it count for the dependent care credit?

The IRS: The cost of sending your child to an overnight camp isn't considered a work-related expense. (IRS Publication 503, edition for returns of 2025) Its sentence on day camp is on the taxes page.

How is it priced and scheduled?

Three operators’ lines. Hiram House: Summer 2027 Overnight Schedule An immersive 6-day, 5-night adventure for boys and girls aged 7-14. (hiramhousecamp.org) the line prints 2027 One Week Session $900 (hiramhousecamp.org) no year in this line Camp Kern: Overnight Camp: Sunday-Friday (campkern.org) no year in this line Camp Willson, on a shorter stay: Mini week camp offers campers the full camp experience condensed in four days filled with outdoor adventure for campers entering grades 1–5. (ymcacampwillson.org) no year in this line

Which operators did we read?

• Hiram House Camp: The 2027 Sessions Session 1: June 13th – June 18th (hiramhousecamp.org) the line prints 2027 Refund line on the overnight page: All fees are non-refundable. (hiramhousecamp.org)
• YMCA Camp Kern: Overnight Summer Camp in Ohio | YMCA Camp Kern Ages 7-14 (campkern.org) no year in this line Its four groups: Frontier Village (Ages 7-9) (campkern.org) no year in this line Explorer Village (Ages 9-11) (campkern.org) no year in this line Adventure Village (Ages 11-13) (campkern.org) no year in this line Pioneer Village (Ages 13-14) (campkern.org) no year in this line
• YMCA Camp Willson: the camp’s page says We fill each week at YMCA Camp Willson with unique experiences for kids and teens ages 6-17 (ymcacampwillson.org) no year in this line; the YMCA of Central Ohio’s summer camp page says YMCA Camp Willson is the ultimate overnight camp experience for youth and teens ages 6 to 16. (ymcacolumbus.org) no year in this line The two disagree on the upper age and we print both.
• Camp Christopher, Catholic Charities: Traditional Camp for ages 7-16 (ccdocle.org) no year in this line
• Girl Scouts of North East Ohio: Overnight camp is a camping experience in which campers live at either Camp Ledgewood or Camp Timberlane. (gsneo.org) no year in this line
• Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland: Ready for an overnight experience at our Camp Molly Lauman? (gsoh.org) no year in this line
• Akron Rotary Camp: The children's overnight camp is geared towards children with disabilities aged 6-17. This is the cornerstone program, which has been offered since 1924. (gotcamp.org) the line prints 1924, not a camp season
• Ohio 4-H: For more information about how to attend your county's 4-H camp, contact your local OSU Extension Office (ohio4h.org) no year in this line More on Scouts and 4-H.

What should you ask an overnight camp that you would not ask a day camp?

1. Which health district issued your permit, and may I see it? The rule: The operator shall post the current permit approval in a conspicuous manner on the resident camp premises. (codes.ohio.gov, effective January 1, 2022)
2. Who sleeps in the cabin, and how many adults per cabin?
3. Who is awake at night?
4. How does my child reach me, and how do you reach me?
5. What is your staff-to-camper ratio and who is background-checked? We did not find either in the overnight chapter we read.

The full list is on the questions page.