Volunteer waiver form for nonprofits and events
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Updated Oct 23, 2026Quick answer
A summer camp waiver form is a parental consent and release document signed before a child attends camp. It lists each child, their allergies and medication, authorizes emergency treatment, names the adults allowed to collect the child, describes camp activities and their risks, and releases the camp from ordinary negligence claims. A well-designed camp waiver lets one parent sign once for several children.
What is a summer camp waiver form?
A summer camp waiver form is really three documents in one: a waiver, a parental consent form and a medical information sheet. Camps need all three because they look after children for long periods, often away from their parents, sometimes overnight.
The waiver part accepts the risks of camp activities. The consent part authorizes participation, transport, medication and emergency care. The information part tells staff what they need to know: allergies, conditions and who is allowed to collect each child.
Camp waiver and parental consent form template
Built for families: add a line for each child. Online, the family flow does this automatically and creates a separate record per child.
Parent or guardian
Name: [Parent or guardian name] Phone: [Phone] Email: [Email]
Second contact: [Name and phone]
Children attending
Child 1: [Name] Date of birth: [Date] Allergies: [Details] Medication: [Details]
Child 2: [Name] Date of birth: [Date] Allergies: [Details] Medication: [Details]
1. Camp and dates
I give permission for the children named above to attend [Camp name] from [Start date] to [End date], including all activities, outings and transport organized by the camp.
2. Activities and risks
I understand camp activities include [swimming, hiking, sports, arts and crafts, field trips] and involve risks such as [falls, sprains, insect stings, sunburn, water-related injury and allergic reactions].
3. Medical information and medication
I have listed all allergies, medications and medical conditions above. ☐ I authorize staff to give the medication listed, as directed: [Instructions]
4. Emergency treatment
If I cannot be reached, I authorize camp staff to arrange emergency medical treatment for my children, and I accept responsibility for its cost.
5. Authorized pickup
Only these adults may collect my children: [Name, relationship, phone] [Name, relationship, phone]. Staff may ask for photo ID.
6. Release
To the fullest extent permitted by law, I release [Camp name], its staff and volunteers from claims arising from my children's participation, including claims caused by their ordinary negligence. This does not apply to gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
7. Photos (optional)
☐ I agree that photos of my children may be used in camp communications.
Signature
I am the parent or legal guardian of each child named above and sign this camp waiver on their behalf and my own.
Signature: [Signature] Date: [Date]
Name: [Parent or guardian name] Phone: [Phone] Email: [Email]
Second contact: [Name and phone]
Children attending
Child 1: [Name] Date of birth: [Date] Allergies: [Details] Medication: [Details]
Child 2: [Name] Date of birth: [Date] Allergies: [Details] Medication: [Details]
1. Camp and dates
I give permission for the children named above to attend [Camp name] from [Start date] to [End date], including all activities, outings and transport organized by the camp.
2. Activities and risks
I understand camp activities include [swimming, hiking, sports, arts and crafts, field trips] and involve risks such as [falls, sprains, insect stings, sunburn, water-related injury and allergic reactions].
3. Medical information and medication
I have listed all allergies, medications and medical conditions above. ☐ I authorize staff to give the medication listed, as directed: [Instructions]
4. Emergency treatment
If I cannot be reached, I authorize camp staff to arrange emergency medical treatment for my children, and I accept responsibility for its cost.
5. Authorized pickup
Only these adults may collect my children: [Name, relationship, phone] [Name, relationship, phone]. Staff may ask for photo ID.
6. Release
To the fullest extent permitted by law, I release [Camp name], its staff and volunteers from claims arising from my children's participation, including claims caused by their ordinary negligence. This does not apply to gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
7. Photos (optional)
☐ I agree that photos of my children may be used in camp communications.
Signature
I am the parent or legal guardian of each child named above and sign this camp waiver on their behalf and my own.
Signature: [Signature] Date: [Date]
Why a parental consent form camp needs a pickup list
Pickup is the moment camps worry about most. A signed list of authorized adults, with relationships and phone numbers, gives staff a clear rule: if a name is not on the list, the child stays until a parent confirms by phone. Ask parents to update the list whenever it changes, and train staff to check ID for anyone they do not recognize.
With an online waiver, staff can see the pickup list on a phone at the gate instead of searching a binder at the end of a long day.
Medication and allergy sections in a camp waiver
- Allergies: ask for the allergy, the reaction and the treatment, such as an epinephrine auto-injector.
- Medication: name, dose, time and who gives it. Keep medication in original labeled containers.
- Conditions: asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and anything else staff must watch for.
- Dietary needs: separate from allergies, so kitchens can plan.
Rules on staff giving medication vary by state and by camp licensing. Check what your licensing body requires, including any separate medication authorization form.
Summer camp waiver for day camps vs overnight camps
| Day camp | Overnight camp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup list | Essential, checked daily | Needed for arrival and departure |
| Medication | Usually midday doses only | Full schedule, often nurse-managed |
| Supervision clause | Activity hours | Overnight supervision and cabin rules |
| Communication | Same-day contact | Phone and contact policy |
| Extra consents | Field trips, swimming | Off-site trips, overnight hikes |
How one guardian signs a camp waiver for siblings
- The parent opens one link from the registration email.
- They choose "Minors" and add each child with name and date of birth.
- They answer allergy and medication questions per child, so a flag attaches to the right child.
- They sign once as parent or guardian.
- Each child gets a separate record, searchable by the child's name and linked as a family.
The legal side of guardian signatures, including how states treat them, is in can a minor sign a waiver.
Camp waiver consent for swimming
Water is one of the highest-risk parts of camp. Ask parents to state each child's swimming ability, and consider a swim test on the first day to assign children to the right areas. Add a separate water activity consent if you run boating, lake swimming or water parks. Supervision ratios and lifeguard requirements are usually set by camp licensing rules, so follow those rather than relying on the waiver.
Parental consent form camp trips and transport
Field trips to museums, parks or water parks take children out of the camp's controlled environment. Mention off-site trips in the main waiver, and send a short trip notice before each outing with the destination, transport method and return time. For trips involving higher-risk activities or overnight stays, ask for a specific trip consent. Make sure transport providers are licensed and insured.
Summer camp waiver form: an example scenario
A city day camp with 240 children used a four-page paper packet per child. Siblings meant duplicate packets, medication notes were often illegible, and on the first morning the pickup lists were still being typed up.
The camp moved to one online camp waiver per family, linked from registration. A parent with three children now signs once, with each child's allergies and medication on their own record. Counselors see flags on a tablet at drop-off, and the gate team checks the pickup list on a phone. The first-morning queue shrank from 45 minutes to about 10.
Best practices for a summer camp waiver form
- Combine waiver, consent and medical information in one form.
- Make allergies, medication and emergency contacts required.
- Keep a signed, dated authorized pickup list.
- Let one parent sign for several children, with a record per child.
- Check your state camp licensing rules for medication and consent forms.
- Keep minors' records well past their 18th birthday.
Running a league rather than a camp? See the sports waiver form.
Summer camp waiver form: FAQ
The structure is the same, but overnight camps add supervision, cabin rules, medication schedules and communication policies to the summer camp waiver form.
Yes. Parents can name grandparents or other adults on the authorized pickup list in the summer camp waiver form, with phone numbers.
Yes. Ask parents to state each child's swimming ability in the camp waiver, and consider a swim test on the first day.
A summer camp waiver form should include each child's details, allergies, medication, emergency contacts, authorized pickup adults, activities, risks, emergency treatment consent and a parent signature.
Yes. One parent or guardian can sign one summer camp waiver for several of their own children, as long as each child is named.
A camp waiver signed by a parent is often enforceable for ordinary negligence, but states differ on parental waivers, especially for commercial camps.
Many camps combine parental consent with the waiver. Some licensing rules require separate forms, for example for medication, so check your state.
Keep camp waivers until each child turns 18, plus the injury limitation period, plus a margin, because the clock often starts at adulthood.
Yes. Parents can sign a summer camp waiver online from the registration email, adding each child and their medical details before the first day.
This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Laws on waivers vary by country and state, so have a local attorney review any waiver before you rely on it. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.