How to Get Your Camp ACA Accredited: Deadlines, Costs & the Real Timeline
September 10, 2026
Almost every guide to ACA accreditation gets read in April. The problem: the application deadline for a visit that summer is February 1. If you're reading about accreditation for the first time in spring, you're preparing for next year, whether you know it or not. This video walks through the accreditation year in the order the calendar asks for it.
In this video
- Eligibility first: U.S.-based programs, a primary audience of campers 5 and older, and sessions of at least three days. Single-day, one-night/two-day, and virtual programs are not eligible.
- What accreditation actually is: a voluntary peer review by trained camp professionals, not a substitute for state licensure
- The accreditation year, month by month: apply by Feb 1, complete the workshop and the Written Documentation Review by Apr 1, host your visit in summer, and hear results by Oct 31
- The standards were restructured in November 2025, so older checklists and summaries are out of date
- Mandatory vs. scored standards: find your mandatory gaps first
- What it costs: a sliding-scale fee by location and camp size, and the staff time that's the real cost
- Staying accredited: an annual report and Statement of Compliance every February 1, and a visit at least every five years
- Where background checks fit: staff screening is mandatory, and a check is only current on the day it was run
Resources from this video
VolunteerBadge offers FCRA-compliant background checks for camp staff and volunteers at $5 each, with automatic rescreening on a schedule you set.
VolunteerBadge and ScreenForge Labs, LLC are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the American Camp Association. "American Camp Association" and "ACA" are trademarks of their owner, used here only to refer to that organization. ACA's program changes, so confirm every date and requirement with ACA directly before acting on it. This video is general information, not legal advice.
