The below documents are public and acquired from the Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing division. To be clear, Meow Meow Foundation is not anti-camp. However, the foundation is pro-child and will remain relentless in its pursuit of both camp and water safety measures that children, families and communities deserve.

Meow Meow Foundation is on the cusp of introducing critical legislation that will finally protect millions of children attending California camps each year. Our bill titled “ROXIE RULES'“ will be introduced within two weeks.

Roxie Forbes died on June 28, 2019, from a preventable drowning at Summerkids camp in Altadena. Since that day, we have undertaken exhaustive research efforts to understand why most California camps are not licensed or properly inspected. Camps are not the only ones to blame. The California Department of Public Health and the Department of Social Services have failed to define and enforce vital reporting standards.

Tragically, Summerkids was and still is one of those camps operating illegally. Community Care Licensing determined that, for decades, Summerkids has structured its business model as a child care facility, not an “organized camp.”

In November, CCL advised Summerkids owner Cara Di Massa that she was operating an illegal child care facility. She ignored the determination and opened an illegal winter camp the next month. Di Massa cannot secure a permit as she claims she can. Officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said they will not issue a permit, and Community Care Licensing has refused to do the same. Therefore, Di Massa has no possible path to open her doors lawfully in June.