Blue Cards for overnight camps

You need a blue card to provide or operate a child accommodation service, including an overnight camp.

Workers and volunteers

You must have a blue card under the child accommodation category if your work or business activities include providing a child accommodation service or engaging in activities or providing services to children at an overnight camp or excursion. This includes school camps and overnight excursions of a sports club – such as going away for a tournament.

You do not need a blue card if you are a tradesperson or maintenance worker called to an overnight camp and your role is limited to maintenance and repair of the site, does not involve staying overnight, and does not permit more than incidental contact with children.

If you are participating solely in daytime activities of a camp or excursion you are not classified under the child accommodation category, however, you may fall under another category of regulated employment or business. For example, if you supervise a high ropes course for children and travel to and from the site each day, you will need a blue card under the sport, active recreation, gyms and play facilities category.

If you are a parent attending an overnight camp, you must have a blue card. You cannot rely on the volunteer parent exemption.

Examples

A blue card is needed for:

• a coordinator of an overnight camp providing services to children.
• individuals (including parents and volunteers) assisting in activities at an overnight school camp.
• a sports coach accompanying children to a training camp or overnight competition.
• a chef or cleaner who stays on-site overnight at a camp.

A blue card is not needed for:

• a student who is 18 years of age and attending or participating in their own school camp.
• maintenance workers who do not stay on-site.

Business owners and operators

You must have a blue card if you operate an overnight camp or if the usual activities of your business include providing services to children at an overnight camp or excursion.

However,  if you are a business owner or operator a blue card is not needed if your business activities are limited to maintenance and repair of the site, which does not involve staying overnight, and does not permit more than incidental contact with children.

Examples

A blue card is needed for a business owner or executive who:

• operates a school camp
• provides team building or other activities to overnight camps involving children.
• operates camps or accommodation services targeted towards junior sporting teams.

A blue card is not needed for a business owner or executive who:

• runs corporate team building for adults
• operates a hotel chain to the general public
• provides maintenance workers or tradesmen to fix damaged equipment at an overnight camp, provided they do not stay on site and have no other contact with children.

More information

• Upcoming changes to the blue card system.
• Executive officers and board or committee members of a regulated child-related organisation require a blue card.
• Understand linking requirements for organisations.
• Check when you don’t need a blue card
• Who cannot apply for or hold a blue card
• Learn how to apply for a blue or exemption card