The expectations and experiences of children attending Burn Camps: a qualitative study

Abstract

The use of evaluation forms has increased with the steadily growing interest in child-centered research. The purpose of this study is 2-fold: 1) to examine the benefits of attending the National Burn Camp, a therapeutic recreation program set up in Belgium for burn-injured children aimed at alleviating the impact of their burns, and 2) to evaluate the camp program from the standpoint of the children, their parents, and the staff members to make improvements to the program. Evaluation forms were gathered from 19 children (12-18 years), parents (N = 14), and staff members (N = 20) who agreed to fill out open-ended questions at different times. Evaluation data demonstrated evidence of increased self-confidence, improved coping skills, developed social skills, new relationships, and a sense of achievement at having taken part in a therapeutic recreation program. Children genuinely benefit psychologically, according to the participants themselves, their parents, and staff members. Evaluation forms can provide additional and more profound explanatory information on the wishes and demands of the participants, their parents, and staff members. Moreover, they are of great importance when it comes to adapting and improving camp programs.