Accreditation

We could tell you camp is safe. We'd rather show you the paperwork.

What is ACA accreditation, and why does it matter?

Recently, the Texas legislature has beefed up their requirements for a camp operating license. We support that — keeping your kids safe is, first and foremost, our greatest responsibility.

Here's something that surprised even us: of the roughly 700 camps in Texas, only about 10% are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). ACA-accredited camps are considered the gold standard in camp safety and operations, and the gap between ACA standards and state requirements isn't small — ACA holds camps to 266 standards, compared to the state's 15.

Has CYJ always been ACA accredited?

We've been ACA members for almost 30 years. Like Hebrew National, we answer to a higher standard — and for us, that standard is ACA accreditation. It's expensive and extensive, but it helps make for a safer camp. Every accreditation cycle involves outside reviewers combing through our operations, our facilities, our staff training, and our safety protocols. We keep doing it anyway, because it doesn't just make us safer — it makes us a better camp. CYJ is proud to be an ACA member, and we don't take that lightly.

Where can I learn more?

The ACA has a lot of good public resources on what accreditation actually covers and why it matters — you can explore them at acacamps.org.