Inclusion Services FAQ

Summer Day Camp Program


How do I register my child for the SFRPD Day Camp Program?

What are the hours of the SFRPD Day Camp Program?

Is there extended care available for the SFRPD Day Camp Program?

What are important dates I need to know this summer?


General FAQs


How do I apply for a scholarship, or renew my scholarship?

What are the personal care guidelines for children and youth participating in the SFRPD Programs?

  • Staff can provide reminders and prompt campers with personal care. Campers must be independent with personal care. For example, washing hands, toileting, and dressing if clothes become soiled.

What is the policy on medications in the SFRPD programs?

  • SFRPD staff can only administer emergency medication, such as epi-pens.
  • For medications, staff will hold medications in the Summer Day Camp site office. Staff can administer medication to participants at the appropriate time(s).
    Disclaimer: SFRPD is not responsible if you forget to bring medication home at the end of the day. We recommend families to have extra medication at home.  .

What are the behavioral guidelines in SFRPD programs?

  • SFRPD strives to use positive behavior management techniques in all our programs
  • We welcome conversations with parents, teachers or other people who have worked with your child/youth. These conversations help us as staff to learn how to work with their behaviors.
  • All participants must be able to follow the eligibility guidelines above. This also includes following directions around social distancing and hand washing.
  • Participants must not present a danger to themselves or others
  • Many of the SFRPD programs sites are in dense, high traffic areas, and do not have closed gates or natural barriers. Participants must be able to stay with the group and must not have any current or recent patterns of elopement.
  • We will work with families on behavior issues, and develop a Behavior Plan if needed
  • Participants that are exhibiting certain unsafe behaviors, may need to take a break from the program. The participant may rejoin the program once we meet with you to reassess a Behavior Plan.
  • If, after trying all the above, we are still unable to work with your child/youth’s behaviors, we may dismiss your child/youth from the program. Know that this is our last resort, and we will do all we can to avoid dismissal.

What services do you offer?

  • We offer specialized Adaptive Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation programs for ages 6 to 22 years old.
  • SFRPD programs, events, and facilities offer inclusion support for individuals with disabilities.
  • SFRPD Programs welcomes children and youth with disabilities, and we will do our best to provide accommodations
     Due to staff shortages, we have limited capacity to increase staff ratios or provide 1:1 support in our general recreation programs.

What are specialized Adaptive Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation programs?

  • Adaptive Recreation (AR) programs make changes to activities to fit the needs of people with disabilities. With these programs they are able to take part in recreational activities. For example, our specialized programs provide individuals with trained and higher staff ratios.
  • Therapeutic Recreation (TR) programs usually provide staff at a higher staff to participant ratio. Also, we have trained staff that work with children with disabilities. As well as, providing well-structured specialized curricula. Our programs are designed to help participants achieve social, physical, and life-skill goals. Our TR programs are Everybody Plays, Teen City, Teen Social Club and our ACCESS Fitness class.

What are the eligibility requirements for San Francisco Recreation and Park Department programs?

  • Eligibility requirements can be things like age, height, prerequisite skills, and residency. Most of the requirements are listed in the program descriptions. SFRPD programs require that all participants must be independent with personal care. Personal care includes toileting and taking medications.

What is SFRPD’s Behavior Policy?

  • We strive to use positive approaches to regulate behaviors. We will work with participants and families when behaviors arise. We will only dismiss a participant in extreme situations. This will only happen after we have worked with the participant and family to explore all other options.

What is your Inclusion Process?

1. Contact our office to confirm that we have an assessment on file. 

Email: rpdtr@sfgov.org
Voice Phone: (415) 831-6841
Video Phone: (415) 242-5700

2. Register to programs

Create a ActiveNet account and register to programs

4. Submit accommodation forms

Whether or not your child needs accommodations, use this form to let our team know what programs the participant is registered for. 

5. After completing the previous steps, you will be able to register for specialized programming.

Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS) will use the information to develop a fact sheet. Fact sheets help support staff learn how to best support participants.

What is a Leisure Interest and Functional Abilities Assessment? Why do we need one?

  • Leisure Interest and Functional Abilities Assessment is a tool we use to gather knowledge about the participant. The assessment helps create individualized goals to best support our participants. Creating goals for the participant can ensure a successful program experience. 

Do I have to complete a Leisure Interest and Functional Abilities Assessment for specialized Adaptive Recreation or Therapeutic Recreation programs, or Inclusion Services?

  • Yes. To take part in our Therapeutic Recreation or Inclusion Services programs you must complete an assessment. You must complete an assessment with one of our Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS). If the participant is under 18, a parent/guardian must be present. The assessment is so we can best support each participant. 

How long does the Leisure Interest and Functional Abilities Assessment take?

  • Our recreation assessments usually take about one hour to complete.

Do we need to complete another Leisure Interest and Functional Abilities Assessment if we completed one in the past?

  • Our assessments are valid for three (3) years. We reassess so we can best support participants as they grow and change over time. Please contact us to schedule a reassessment after the three (3) year mark. 

Is there a cost for a Leisure Interest and Functional Abilities Assessment and/or Inclusion Services?

  • No. Assessments and Inclusion Services are free for participants registered in our programs.

Should I register for a program before I have completed the Leisure Interest and Functional Abilities Assessment?

  • Yes. Because camps and programs fill up fast, we do not want you to wait to register. New families: be sure to contact our office for pre-authorization. This allows you to register for specialized Adaptive Recreation or Therapeutic Recreation programs. 

Is an Inclusion Support staff person (or 1:1 ’aide’) guaranteed?

  • We cannot guarantee there will be a trained and qualified support staff available. Contact us right after registration. This will give us the best chance to create a Support Plan. It will help us provide the support or accommodations needed.  Due to staff shortages, we have limited capacity to increase staff ratios or provide 1:1 support in our general recreation programs.

What if I register for a program, and you are not able to provide support?

  • If we cannot accommodate and support the participant, we can offer a refund or credit to your account. For last minute changes about the camp or program, we will not be able to offer a refund or credit. 
  • If we cannot accommodate and support the participant, please contact registration so we can accommodate accordingly.

Can I provide my own 1:1 aide, support person, therapist, caregiver, or personal assistant?

  • Yes, you can provide your own 1:1 aide, support person, therapist, or personal assistant. To have an outside adult work with a participant during SFRPD programs, you must follow these guidelines:
    • The person you are providing must be at least 18 years of age.
    • Must complete a background check through SFRPD. Processing takes at least one (1) month.
    • Therapists who work for an agency requiring background checks can share that information with us. They must be working for the other agency while at our program.
    • For individualized therapy services, please schedule sessions outside program times.
  • If you are an adult not providing services as above, this does not apply to you. You must complete a SFRPD background check. Background checks from previous jobs will not suffice. SFRPD only receives alerts about changes in someone's history if he/she has completed the check with SFRPD.

Does Therapeutic Recreation & Inclusion Services provide transportation?

  • Therapeutic Recreation & Inclusion Services does not provide transportation. The participant and their family are responsible for transportation. Sometimes, we provide transportation for field trips in our camps and programs. 

What kind of experience and background do your staff people have? What kind of training do your support staff people receive?

  • Our team of staff members has diverse backgrounds. They have experience working with individuals with disabilities. Some of our staff are college students. They study Child Development, Special Education, and Therapeutic Recreation. They are also studying Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and other related fields. We also hire many paraprofessionals and ABA therapists. Many of our staff have years of experience. Some entry-level staff, such as Camp Assistants and youth hired through our Workreation program, may have little experience. We ensure that they are passionate about working with people with disabilities. We also give them the necessary training.
  • When training staff, we focus on relevant topics. These include disability awareness, person-first language, and attitude. We also cover behavioral triggers and management. We also cover department-specific policies, safety, privacy, and customer service. Please note that our staff are not formally trained to provide personal care (toileting, feeding, etc.). 

Do your staff provide personal care help, like toileting, feeding, and changing? Do they also administer medication?

  • San Francisco Recreation and Park employees are not trained to administer medication. They are also not trained to provide personal care. SFRP employees may assist with medication, but cannot administer it. Participants must be independent with taking medication.
  • Please arrange a personal assistant or caregiver if the participant needs help with personal care.
  • If a participant needs help with personal care in one of our specialized Therapeutic Recreation programs, we are more likely to provide these accommodations. But, we cannot guarantee it. If the participant needs special equipment like diapers, wipes, special food, or medications, you must provide those items. Ensure they are up to date and replenished. Contact the TR & Inclusion Services Office with any questions or concerns about personal care. We can work together to support the participants.

Can my child’s 1:1 aide, paraprofessional, personal assistant or caregiver get paid through SFRPD?

  • San Francisco Recreation and Parks is only authorized to pay SFRPD employees or approved vendors. For that reason, we cannot pay an aide, personal assistant, or caregiver unless he/she is an employee of SFRPD. 

Are you hiring?

  • We are always looking for qualified, compassionate individuals to work in our specialized Therapeutic Recreation programs and camps. We also need people to work in our Inclusion Services. 
  • If you know anyone interested, please have him or her get in contact with us right away at rpdtr@sfgov.org! Note that our hiring process takes almost three months to complete. Candidates should apply early. 

How do I stay informed about important information, registration dates, programs, and events?

Sign up for our TR and Inclusion Services eNews. You can also text RPDTRLIST to 22828