BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. -- The state health department has shut down a children's camp in Boulder.
Feet on the Earth was issued a cease-and-desist letter last Friday to stop "unlicensed child care activity," according to our partners at the Boulder Daily Camera.
"A parent filed a complaint about FOTE with Boulder County Public Health stating that her daughter felt uncomfortable using the outhouse on the land where we run summer camps," camp founder Lorene Wapotich wrote on Facebook.
Wapotich wrote that three Public Health Officials visited their site in Lefthand Canyon and were shown the outhouse and hand washing station and had their questions answered.
"While the outhouse and hand washing station fit with our philosophy of teaching children how to live outdoors, away from certain modern conveniences, we were told that it does not meet county requirements for a childcare facility," Wapotich explained on Facebook. "The officials issued FOTE an immediate cease and desist order, saying that FOTE could not run programs until these issues have been addressed. They also said that FOTE must obtain a State of Colorado childcare license before being able to resume running programs."
FOTE said it canceled the last day of Nature Explorer’s camp last week and a Daughters of the Earth camp this week.
"As you can imagine, the situation is heartbreaking for us and the families we serve," Wapotich wrote on Facebook.
The camp said it is working with various regulatory agencies to determine the requirements needed to continue running its programs.
The FOTE Facebook page said a community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Boulder Public Library in the Boulder Creek Room.
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