The Gold Ribbon Accreditation program is an education program intended to help COCA member camp organizations identify policies and practices specific to their setting and population, that are documented and delivered in the course of providing a medically and emotionally safe pediatric oncology camp experience. The Gold Ribbon Accreditation program is overseen by a Committee of COCA board members, pediatric oncologists, other medical staff as well as Camp Directors, COCA camp volunteers, and senior level managers within COCA member camps. These standards are intended to be used in conjunction with an outside verification process, not to judge camps’ practices or policies, but to allow objective verification so as to add credibility to the Gold Ribbon Camp status to parents and healthcare partners and donors.

The COCA Gold Ribbon Accreditation program is important because it is the only pediatric oncology camping association to offer specific guidelines for providing a medically and psychosocially safe environment for individuals and families affected by childhood cancer. In the development of the Standards for the program, many areas of practice were omitted. The committee felt that the expertise of the association was best placed in the realm of medical and psychosocial support. Through the process the committee recognized that many vital and important practices of general camping industry and not-for profit management already exist.
Therefore, it’s a strong recommendation of the COCA Gold Ribbon Committee that in addition to COCA Gold Ribbon Operation Practices, each camp should hold accreditation from a camping industry association and meet or exceed all local, state/provincial and governmental regulations in the following areas:

  1. Camping Industry Best Practices:
    • Business Operations
    • Human Resources
    • Facility Operations
    • Transportation
    • Program Design & Delivery

2. Camp Industry Accredited Bodies:

3. Not-For-Profit Best Practices:

    • Governance
    • Finance & Accounting
    • Human Resources
    • Volunteer Management

4. Resources for Not-For-Profit Best Practices:

Please be advised that in 2025 we are moving to a virtual method of training, offering it as a course on our Professional Development Learning Center, followed by a virtual Q&A webinar. 

Camps

For a Camp to be eligible for Accreditation, they:

  1. Complete an Application in the Fall for an Accreditation visit the following summer.
  2. To ensure Camps are following the suggested guidelines and standards, they are given access to an online portal to upload their corresponding documents. This process is typically January-March.
  3. In January and February, the Camp participates in mandatory training courses on our Professional Development Learning Center to help educate and prepare them for the visit and assist with documentation and use of the portal.
  4. Camps are required to submit all documents by the end of March so the coordination of two visitors (peer and medical) can be assigned to review their documentation on the portal then visit the Camp in the summer. All documentation by the Camp MUST be submitted and reviewed prior to any visit taking place. The visitors do not decide whether a Camp is to become Accredited or not. The visitors submit a worksheet designating which policies and procedures were either ‘seen’ and/or ‘not seen’ during their visit. The worksheet is used in collaboration with the requirements of each standard.
  5. The visitors turn in their worksheet to the Gold Ribbon Committee who meets in September to discuss each of the Camps visited and determines their recommendations to the Board for those Camps to be Accredited.
  6. The Board of Directors votes in September on the Camps to become Gold Ribbon Accredited.
  7. Camps are notified in the Fall prior to the Annual Conference

As a COCA Gold Ribbon Accredited Camp…

  1. Will be recognized at the Annual Conference as a Gold Ribbon Accredited Camp.
  2. Will be listed on COCA’s website, under the Camp’s profile page, as a Gold Ribbon Accredited Camp.
  3. Will be presented an official COCA Gold Ribbon Accredited Camp Certificate suitable for framing and displaying in the camp office.

Visitors

Anyone from a COCA Member Camp is welcome, and encouraged, to be a Gold Ribbon visitor. It is an incredible opportunity to learn oncology camping best practices, meet and network with other oncology camps, and discover new and unique ideas to bring back to your own camp. Visitors may partake in as many visits as they would like, but visitors will be assigned based on closest proximity to the camps being visited. 

If you are interested in becoming a visitor, please begin by submitting either a peer or medical visitor application. Please click here for visitor requirements and expectations. 

Once all of the camps submit their proposed Gold Ribbon visit dates, a spreadsheet will be sent to all visitors. Visitors will put their name next to any visit dates they would be able to make, and will have the ability to make notes of available days (if a range is listed), proximity to the camp, how many visits they are willing to undertake, etc. Visitors will then be assigned to camps with first preference going to those who are closest to the camp. Once visitors are assigned and a date is chosen and confirmed, visitors and the camps they are visiting will be put into contact with one another. When the camps finish uploading their documentation to the portal the visitors will begin their review.

It is the responsibility of both the visitors and camps to be in communication with each other up to, and through, the day of visit. This includes communications about travel arrangements, new activity from the camp in the portal, and new activity from the visitors in the portal. 

1.1 Example (Accreditation)

2.1 Example (Letter of Support)

3.1 Example (Mission Statement)

3.2 Example (Parent Info)

3.3 Example (Organizational Chart)

3.4 Example (Evaluations)

3.5 Example (Insurance)

3.6 Example (Confidentiality)

3.7 Example (Camper App.)

4.1 Example (Staff Training)

4.2 Example (Guest _ Staff Orientation)

4.3 Example (Health Care Policies)

4.4 Example (Staff-Vol. Medical History)

5.1 Example (Eligibility, Late Change Form)

5.2 Example ( Health Care Protocols)

5.3 Example (Medical Emergency Plan)

5.4 Example (DNR Policy)

5.5 Example (Death @ Camp)

5.6 Example (Hydration, Sunscreen, Bug Spray, Clothing)

5.7 Example (Hygiene)

5.8 Example (Rx Inventory List)

5.9 Example (Med. Admin.)

5.10 Example (Record Retention)

5.11 Example (Treatment Protocols)

6.1 Example (Psycho social Support)

6.2 Example (Death Communication)

6.3 Example (Memorial Service)

6.4 Example (Graduate Campers)

Digitize All Written Camp Documents to Stay Organized

All COCA Camps being visited in 2022, are required to prepare ALL written documentation in a digital format so they can be uploaded to the Gold Ribbon Portal and reviewed in advance of your onsite visit next summer.

 

Cloud Storage

All camps should create and use cloud file storage (dropbox, google drive, box, etc.) to organize ALL written documentation related to accreditation standards.

The other key to great organization is highlighting, tagging, or marking specific elements of your written documentation to make it easy for the visitor team to find your compliance demonstration.

 

Benefits of Digital Document Organization 

One of the objectives of having written documentation is that it provides consistency and makes your policies, procedures, and practices easier to disseminate. If only the director or coordinator of your written documentation has access to it, how can you ensure that your entire camp community embraces and implements the standards? Having documents that you can share quickly and easily in a digital format allows greater exposure and access to all the work you put into aligning with the Gold Ribbon Accreditation Standards.

Paper copies are more likely to be accidentally thrown away, are harder to recreate if it is the only version that exists, can be damaged or destroyed between uses, or disappear in leadership transitions. Having your documents in cloud file storage allows you to share the folder with other key staff/team members, so they are less likely to be lost or destroyed year to year.

Gaining feedback from visitors on your written documentation is one of the fundamental learning opportunities in the accreditation process. When documents are in cloud file storage space, they can be easily shared directly with visitors and/or in the online Gold Ribbon Portal.

 

Need a Written Policy/Procedure?

If you realize during this process you need to create a written policy or written procedure for a practice that is for a specific Standard, but you are not sure where or how to start, COCA has a Standards Resource Library. This Library contains sample policies from COCA Camps who are Gold Ribbon Accredited. Once you log into the Gold Ribbon Online Portal, these resources can be found on the bottom left of each Standards page. Again, make sure your created policies or procedures are realistic and have been practiced in the field.