Conference Details
Children’s and Youth Programming

Ferry Beach Is a Place for Kids!
While parents are attending their morning workshops, Ferry Beach provides a safe, exciting and varied program for children. This program welcomes all children as soon as they are potty trained. Guided by experienced caregivers, children will explore the Ferry Beach ecosystem, create arts and crafts in our well stocked Art Room, and sing with the Ferry Beach Music Director. Ferry Beach pays for background checks on everyone involved in the Ferry Beach Children’s Program, Ferry Beach paid staff and volunteers. Four conferences (Religious Education Week, Family & Friends, I & II, and UU Fellowship & Fun) integrate a children’s program into conference programming. However, the Children’s Program is in full swing all summer long.

Vacationers who would like their children to attend the Children's Program may do so by paying the weekly conference fee for their children.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAM GUIDLINES
Following are the guidelines under which the Children’s Program will operate, using good judgment and common sense in their application:

1. If a child is misbehaving during the time that Ferry Beach staff is in charge, we reserve the right to find the child’s parent(s) in their workshops and request they intercede immediately. If that on-the-spot action does not resolve the problem, we reserve the right to remove the child from the program and return him/her to the parents for the remainder of the day.
2. On the same day, the child, the parents and staff involved with the removal will meet to evaluate the child’s behavior and the plan for the child’s re-entrance into program activities the following day.
3. If the behavior persists the next day, Ferry Beach will ask parents to take charge of their child for the remainder of their stay.
4. We welcome any parent who has a high spirited child, or overly shy child to speak to us in advance to help us make the child’s experience a good one.

Parental Responsibility
Parents are completely responsible for their children under 18, except for the specific time they are enrolled in the Children/Youth Programs. Please be very careful when crossing the streets: all the roads are public and traffic along Route 9 moves very fast.

Children with Special Needs
We recommend parents speak directly with the Executive Director or Program Coordinator prior to enrolling a special needs child in any conference activity. We will do our absolute best work with everyone, but depending on the level of need, Ferry Beach may or may not be able to accommodate the child.

YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Ethics of Adults Working With Youth
Ferry Beach adheres to the “UUA Code of Ethics for Adults Working with Children and Youth” with the addition of the following statement:
“While we encourage counselors to get to know conferees individually, one-on-one conversations between counselors and youth will not be held in secluded locations. Youth Conference leaders and staff should be especially aware of behavior that constitutes harassment (which includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical contact that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.”

UUA Code of Ethics
“Adults and older youth who are in leadership roles are in a position of stewardship and play a key role in fostering the spiritual development of both individuals and the community. It is, therefore, especially important that those in leadership positions be well qualified to provide the special nurture, care, and support that will enable children and youth to develop a positive sense of self and a spirit of independence and responsibility. The relationship between young people and their leaders must be one of mutual respect if the positive potential of their relationship is to be realized.

“There are no more important areas of growth than those of self-worth and the development of a healthy identity as a sexual being. Adults play a key role in assisting children and youth in these areas of growth. Wisdom dictates that children, youth and adults suffer damaging effects when leaders become sexually involved with young persons in their care; therefore, leaders will refrain from engaging in sexual, seductive or erotic behavior with children and youth. Neither shall they sexually harass or engage in behavior with children or youth which constitutes verbal, emotional, or physical abuse.”