Childcare at this year’s Bite Back Camp will have four levels: Fixed childcare at certain times, caregivers, a responsibility-aid/buddy for a child and workshops for children or child-friendly workshops.
Childcare works better when there are more children at the camp so that kids of similar ages are present, friendships can develop and the kids have each other as buddies. However, there is a lot of mistrust among people with children towards the provided childcare in autonomous structures. That’s why we want to communicate a lot to the outside about what concept of childcare at this years camp will look like. We want to help out the people who have responsibility over children and allow the children themselves to have a nice time at camp. We hope that several kids will sign up for the camp, so that a nice group, which likes to spend time together and in which friendships can develop, will be formed.
1. Fixed childcare
A fixed childcare crew should be formed, similar to the fixed group formed for KÜFA last year. Via a call, a group of people should be formed to organize the childcare (program, activities, material …) and also do it on site with the help of other campers. From the fixed childcare there should always be a few of them present in the childcare times, so that the kids can build trust with these people and not have different adults taking care of them every few hours. Lack of trust usually doesn’t come from the parents or people who have responsibility over the child, but from the children themselves. It would be important that the people in the crew already have some experience in taking care of kids. There should also be activities planned for kids, which sometimes are off the main area. The activities should be planned in such a way that all children of different ages can participate or that there is a parallel activity for younger/older children. In general, it should be considered that the childcare should always be adapted to different age groups. At the open meeting on childcare we talked a lot about building trust of children towards caregivers. We came up with the idea to organize a GET-TO-KNOW-Party/GET-TO-KNOW-PICNIC in the park or at the Donauinsel (Vienna), so that the children can get to know people from the fixed childcare. Two notes that came out of the Open Meeting: Caregivers should not take it personally if children at first do not want to associate with you or prefer to go back to their caregiver(s) AND spatial seperation can help with care.
Collected ideas for activities (in childcare): Kids movie night + snacks, or picture book streaming, reading, design clothing with batiks, pasta making, salt dough, stick bread, giant donut + chocolates, pool, campfire for kids, flanky ball water edition, terrain games like cops and robbers (rename) or Abtab.
2. Caregivers
People with children can take 1-3 caregivers with them, even if a registration stop has already been announced. This needs to simply be communicated to us at the time of registration or at a later date. This can also be shortly before the camp. We as the orga just need to know how many people are approximately coming to be able to discuss everything with the kitchen-crew as well.
3. Responsibility aid/ buddy for a child
People with responsibilities over children need more support than only the temporary child care: At meal times, in breaks and in the evening, so that people with children can also have a break, shower, sleep, eat in peace etc.. Poeple with children often take along friends, partners etc. who share responsibility for the child. However, this is not always possible. It is important to us to show solidarity with people who have/care for children and we want to support them at camp outside of childcare-times. Therefore, the idea is that for each child at camp there is an additional caregiver on-site, who is another contact person/person of trust for the kid and also sometimes takes over the care for the kid in free times. They can get to know each other at the beginning of the camp or at the get-to-know-party. If people who are participating in the camp would like to take on such a role, please contact us or come to the get-to-know event (there is no set date yet).
4. Workshops
At the camp there will be workshops for children as well as workshops that are aimed at adults but are child-friendly. People who prepare workshops or skillshares should or could think about how children can be integrated into their program (especially with handicraft things or body-work).
What structures are needed on site?
We will do a safety check at the site before the camp.
– Designated space for sleep?
-It will be asked if there is a need for a designated sleeping space for people with children. This would be a part of the camping space designated for people with children and (for example) close enough to the action but far enough from the evening noise.
– We want to do a kids campfire where there is no drinking or smoking, which should also be lit earlier in the evening.
– Childcare Space: Considerations for the space are as follows → The designated place for childcare should perhaps not be too far away, but also spatially separated from the workshops in such a way that caregivers of the children do not always remain visible to them. Childcare is often not properly possible if the child sees their caregiver all the time. Suggestion: Children’s tent
-Materials and water game options such as a pool or other things like slides
-Night time?
Consideration is being given to requiring a night’s rest on most days at camp.
Struggles with childcare/experiences with last childcare at Biteback
– Noise in the evening/night and in the morning (ROOSTER)
– Few people feel responsible for children at camp.
– When childcare is organized only through a shift plan, there is a lack of people and also appreciation towards the practice. Often there are too few people and it does not take place at all. Therefore it needs fixed responsibilities – a shift plan can then function as a helpful ressource.
– Childcare often fails due to the lack of trust of the children towards the caregivers, especially if they are constantly changing. Therefore, it is important that trust is built up and that there is continuity in childcare.
– Workshops and locations are too much designed for adults (e.g. campfire).
– You never know beforehand how many children there will be.
– Material at last camp was nice
Call for childcare at Bite Back Camp 2023 (5.8-9.8)🤸🏽♀️⛹🏼♂️🛹🛼
Hello all! For the childcare at Bite Back Camp, we are looking for people to come together as a group to plan, prepare and be responsible for the childcare at camp. We are searching for fixed crew to take the main responsibility for the childcare. On the one hand because it is important that the childcare works well and that enough people feel responsible and on the other hand we believe that this way trust can be built up with the children. Last year we made the experience that if childcare is only organized through a shift plan, there are often not enough people and also appreciation of the childcare itself is missing.
On site, the childcare should be happening with the help of other campers. In the best case a few from the fixed childcare-crew are always present in the childcare times, so that children can build trust with the adults. It isn’t helpful if every few hours other people take care of them. Lack of trust is usually not with the parents or people who have responsibility over the child, but with the children themselves. It would be important that the people who want to do be part of the childcare-crew already have some experience in taking care of children. The activities should be planned in such a way that all children of different ages can participate or that there is a parallel activity for younger/older children. In general, it needs to be considered that the childcare should always be adapted to different age groups. At the open meeting on childcare we talked a lot about building trust of children towards caregivers. We came up with the idea of organizing a KENNENLERNFEST/KENNENLERNPICKNIK in the park or at the Donauinsel (Vienna), so that the children can get to know people from the fixed childcare.
Childcare works better when there are more children at the camp, so that children of similar ages are there, friendships can be developed, and the children have each other as buddies. However, there is a lot of mistrust among people with children towards the provided childcare in autonomous structures. That’s why we want to communicate a lot to you about how this years childcare is planned to be. We want to relieve persons who have responsibility over children and allow the children themselves to have a nice time at camp. We hope that some children will sign up for the camp, so that a fine group will be formed, which likes to spend time together and in which friendships will develop.
You can find more information about the childcare on our website: https://bitebackcamp.org/childcare.
If you are interested in helping out with childcare and be part of the childcare-crew, please message us on Instagram or via email queerfemcamp@riseup.net. We can then connect you with each other! (open for all genders, more information on invitation policy will soon be posted on our website)✨✨✨✨
Open Call!!!: Workshops and Program for kids
If you are interested in doing a workshop or planning a program-point for kids, just message us! <3