Then please reconsider completing this application and sending your child to camp! There are plenty of children who want to attend and we want them to have this opportunity.

We are the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. We are founded by the Florida Sheriffs Association. So, in a way, the Sheriff is sponsoring the child to come to camp.

On the page where it asks questions about the child, please be honest. We want to know as much as we can about the child to determine if they would be successful at camp.

Please try to get the physical filled out on our form. Talk to your doctor’s office/health department and see if they can transfer the information to our form from the child’s most recent physical. As long as the physical was completed within a year from the start of the camp session, it will be accepted.

Please return the completed application to your local Sheriff’s Office.

Once the application is received and reviewed for eligibility, a letter of acceptance/denial/waiting list will be sent as soon as possible.

When your child is accepted to attend camp you will receive information about transportation options. If you live locally, you may need to provide your own transportation to and from camp.

Campers sleep in cabins with 11 other children of the same gender and similar age. There are also two or three staff members (group leaders) who stay in the cabin with the campers. Campers are responsible for the cleaning and upkeep of their cabins, and other camp common areas throughout the camp experience.

Each meal has kid friendly options and is approved by a dietitian. There are many options including: cereal bar, salad bar and always peanut butter and jelly.

Homesickness is our camp nurse’s specialty. We will try convincing the camper to stay, but if they are truly homesick, then we will call the parents to have them pick up the camper. Please make sure that your camper is ready to commit to coming to camp for a whole week.

Unfortunately, no. With over 70 campers on campus at a time and the amount of activities we have planned for a day, there simply is not time for everyone to call home. HOWEVER, IF A PARENT NEEDS TO CONTACT THEIR CHILD AT CAMP, PLEASE CALL DURING MEAL TIMES AT 8 AM OR 12:30 PM. The campers eat together in the chuck wagon and usually can take a quick break for a call from home. The number to call at Caruth Camp is 352-447-1151 or Youth Camp is 386-749-9843.

Living in a cabin with 11 other campers, your child is likely to make new friends. There are other campers with similar interests who are just as nervous as your child about meeting new friends.

Each week 36 boys and 36 girls, ages 10 – 15, come to camp. There are both female and male staff members and of course, our Deputy Sheriffs.