Camp Jabiru Applications 2020

Dear Families and Supporters of The Sensory Gym®:

It is with pleasure that we announce the twelfth year of Camp Jabiru, based upon the Camp Avanti model in the United States.
Camp dates for 2020 are 5th - 9th September 2020. With a lunchtime finish on the 9/9/20

The aim of Camp Jabiru is for children to have a typical camp experience with the addition of therapeutic intervention to support and facilitate successful individual participation and group experience.  Camp is physically challenging and places demands on your child socially.  However, the rewards of a successful week of camp are many.  Improved self confidence, increased physical coordination and stamina, better self-organization, improved personal accountability, better ability to “be a friend,” and improved ability to handle feelings and negotiate conflicts are just some of the outcomes typical from a week of camp.

We are pleased to offer the following levels of camp in 2020:

Day Camp – for children 4-8 years of age; children will be divided into groups of 6-9 children based on age and year in school

Transition Camp – 8 year olds still attending day camp stay 1 night overnight (Thursday night) in order to prepare them for overnight camp the following year; not all 8 year olds will be placed in this group, but you may indicate it as a preference on your application form

Down Syndrome Group – 9 -12 year old children with Down syndrome; this is an overnight group (children with Down syndrome can apply for day camp groups if they are younger than 9 years of age) 

Overnight Camp – for children 9-12 years of age; children will be divided into groups based on age and gender

Please see the “appropriate campers” details to ensure that your child is a match for the programs provided.  Please read the descriptions carefully as places are limited.

Please be advised that due to the popularity of Camp Jabiru, applications will be considered in the order in which they are received. However, submitting an application DOES NOT guarantee your child a place at Camp Jabiru. The processing of camp applications is lengthy and difficult as we understand that not every child will receive a place. We understand that some families will be happy & others disappointed by the decisions made. We ask that you respect the decisions made and please know that we always try our best to accommodate as many children as possible.  If your child misses out on a place, your child will be placed on our wait list and should a cancellation become available, you will be contacted.

Once your application has been submitted you will be notified that your application has been received. Applications will be assessed soon after they are received, and appropriate campers will be allocated to groups.  Your spot in the “queue” of applications will be maintained until group decisions have been made.  You will be notified when your application has either been accepted or declined.  Once all available places have been filled, we will be placing children on a waiting list.  Please be sure to take this information into consideration when completing your application.

If your child is not a current or past client of The Sensory Gym® and has never attended Camp Jabiru, we will require a “screening” prior to acceptance for camp.  The screening will be a 30-45 minute meeting with you and your child at The Sensory Gym®.  There is a $50 cost for the screening.  We will also require more extensive questionnaires be completed prior to acceptance for camp. These questionnaires can be found at www.campjabiru.com.au. (These questionnaires can be completed ahead of time and saved to your computer). Please take this into consideration when lodging your application, as the need to do a screening will make the acceptance process take longer.  Your spot in the application “queue” will be preserved until such time as your screening takes place and a decision regarding camp placement can be made.

PLEASE NOTE:  For all campers, the $600 deposit cannot be billed to any Medicare, Fahcsia or Better Start payment schemes.  The remainder of the camp fee is a therapy fee, and we are happy to work with any existing payment schemes for therapy that are available to your child. 

Once accepted, Camp fees will be due.  Please read the payment option page and tick the option that best suits your family.   Please see the attached fee list to gain an understanding of the fees associated with your child’s potential program.  Medicare rebates can apply if you are enrolled in an appropriate plan.  If you have NDIS funding, please speak directly with Tammie (our office manager) regarding the details of your plan and how it may be applied to camp.  Additionally, Fahcsia funds can be applied to the therapy fees for camp but cannot be claimed until the time of camp.  More information regarding billing will be provided once your child is accepted as a camper.  Additionally, if you would like The Sensory Gym® to set you up on a payment plan for camp, please call the office to arrange this.  Camp must be paid in full by the first day of camp.

More comprehensive information will be provided to you once your child is accepted as a camper. 

Camp Jabiru Fees 2020

Total fees per program

4 Hour Day Camp $1350

6 Hour Day Camp $1600 

7.5 Hour Day Camp $1800 

Transition Camp $1850 

Overnight Camp $2250 

Please note: There is an additional $25 fee per camper for any overnight camper requiring a gluten-free diet.

Please note: If using plan-managed or agency managed NDIS funds for camp, please add a 5% administrative fee to the total price for camp.

NDIS Funds for camp can only be claimed under the Improved Daily Living category.

Camp Jabiru is an Occupational Therapy Camp.

Campers aged 4-5: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, have adequate stamina to participate in a 4 hour camp day without need for a nap, and will have at least some awareness of toileting needs and preferably at least be in a pull-up if not toilet trained.  By the time of camp, these campers WILL NOT have entered kindergarten. 

Campers aged 5-6: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, have adequate stamina to participate in a 6-hour camp day, will be toilet trained and will have at least emergent ability to interact and communicate with peers.  By the time of camp, these campers WILL have completed one term of kindergarten. 

Campers aged 6-8: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, have adequate stamina to participate in a 7.5-hour camp day and will have some independence in their ability to interact and communicate with peers.They must also be toilet trained. 

Overnight camp group for children aged 8-12: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, will have had some sleep-over experience away from home prior to camp and will be able to independently interact and communicate with peers, with adult support as needed to ensure success and positivity. They must also be toilet trained. Children who are 9 or older WILL NOT be considered for day camp. 

Down Syndrome Group: Appropriate campers will be between the ages of 9 and 12 years and have a diagnosis of Down syndrome.  The program for this group will take into consideration the “average” physical capacities of children with Down syndrome.  Campers should be toilet trained.  Campers will be able to independently interact and communicate with peers, with adult support as needed to ensure success and positivity.  Children with Down syndrome under the age of 8 will be placed in an appropriate day camp group.