E-Mail Updates
Sign up to receive announcements by email about important activities regarding the Youth Camp Program. This feature will serve as a tool to increase communication regarding future issues such as proposed rule changes, rule interpretations, enforcement actions, or updated licensing forms, procedures, etc.
NEW
The youth camp rules are being revised. The proposed changes to the youth camp rules will be presented to the State Health Services Council at the meeting on February 28th. A draft of the changes may be found in the Draft Rules link located to the left.
The Commissioner of DSHS requests your assistance in identifying an applicant for membership on the Youth Camp Advisory Committee. The position requiring appointment is for a member of the general public to serve a term of six years. The term of the position begins upon appointment and ends six years from the appointment date. A "public member" may be a user of the services of a youth camp (a parent), but may not be affiliated with a youth camp, such as a member of the staff or management of a youth camp or its parent corporation. All people who wish to be considered as a nominee must complete the attached Application for Advisory Committee Appointment (Form 19-5056-2).
Attention: May 1, 2013. DSHS has not received any applications for a member of the general public to serve on the Youth Camp Advisory Committee. Therefore, the deadline for submitting an application has been extended to July 1, 2013.
What We Do
The Texas Department of State Health Services is the principal authority on matters relating to health and safety conditions at youth camps in Texas. All youth camps must obtain a license prior to operating. Any youth camp may be inspected during operation to determine compliance with the Youth Camp Act and the Youth Camp Rules.
To determine if an operation is a youth camp, the operation must meet the following criteria:
- A facility or property, other than a facility required to be licensed by the Department of Family and Protective Services that:
- has the general characteristics of a day camp, resident camp, or travel camp;
- is used for recreational, athletic, religious, or educational activities;
- accommodates at least five minors who attend or temporarily reside at the camp for all or part of at least four consecutive days; and
- is not a facility or program operated by or on the campus of an institution of higher education or a private or independent institution of higher education as those terms are defined by the Education Code, §61.003, that is regularly inspected by one or more local governmental entities for compliance with health and safety standards.
- A youth camp provides supervision, instruction, and recreation, utilizing a variety of activities primarily in an outdoor, natural environment, for children who are apart from their parents or legal guardians.
- A youth camp operates only during school vacation periods, and not more than 120 days per calendar year; and
- A youth camp accepts a camper for a minimum of four consecutive days for more than four hours per day.
Please note that some “camp” operations may not meet all of the criteria listed above, and would not be considered a Youth Camp operation, although they may be considered a Child Care operation. Please see the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Web site for more information on Child Care. Additionally, some licensed youth camps may offer services that do not meet the above criteria (such as weekend retreats), and those services would not be regulated under the youth camp laws.
General Mailing Address:
Public Health Sanitation & Consumer Safety/PSQA MC 1987
Texas Department of State Health Services
P. O. Box 149347
Austin, Texas 78714-9347
Licensing Mailing Address:
Environmental and Sanitation Licensing Group MC 2835
Texas Department of State Health Services
P. O. Box 149347
Austin, Texas 78714-9347
Address for all Mail CONTAINING MONEY:
Texas Department of State Health Services MC 2003
PO Box 149347
Austin, Texas 78714-9347
Phone: 512-834-6600
Fax: 512-834-6614
Physical Address
(WE ONLY RECEIVE SPECIAL SERVICE DELIVERIES, SUCH AS UPS
OR FEDERAL EXPRESS [not USPS], AT THIS ADDRESS)
Mail that contains money may not be sent via overnight special service deliveries.
Mail that contains money will be returned to sender for mailing to the appropriate PO Box listed above for mail containing money.
Texas Department of State Health Services
Exchange Building
8407 Wall Street
Austin, Texas 78754
Email: Michael Minoia