About Cradle Beach
Fact Sheet
Cradle Beach was founded in 1888 to make a lasting difference in people’s lives. We provide education, training, and leadership development in a recreational setting to children with disadvantages and with special needs, and to the young adults who serve them.
Cradle Beach
Cradle Beach serves over 2000 disabled and disadvantaged children annually in respite programs, student retreats, and our signature summer camp program.
We also nurture young adults to better serve our vulnerable children, our organization and the community by providing leadership training and life-changing experiences.
Cradle Beach’s summer residential camp is known nationwide as one of the few camps in the country to fully integrate its programming to include children with and without disabilities.
All programming is geared around the “play station” concept, which allows children to explore educational and recreational areas in which they have a particular interest, but might not be able to explore if they had not attended summer camp. Cradle Beach offers 16 “play stations” including swimming, arts and crafts, computer lab, a low ropes course and the fully accessible Tree house.
Our hiring policy dictates that counselors have at minimum of 1 year of college and attend a week long pre-camp training session. Many of those hired are in fields of study including - education, special education, recreation therapy, nursing, and social work. In addition Cradle Beach is proud of the fact that we have 20 individuals on staff for 20 years or longer. We also hire many international counselors who come from all over the world.
Our Children
Cradle Beach’s summer residential camp serves children ages 9 to16 years with disabilities and from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
One of our priorities is to focus on the specific needs of the children, where we can make a greater difference, i.e.: specific physical conditions, autism, mental health, ADHD, developmentally disabled.
Of the nearly 800 children who attend one of our five 10-day sessions each summer 68% percent come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and 61% are disabled.
Our Pioneer Camper program allows 14 to 16 year old youth the opportunity to provide assistance with food service and camp activities for younger children, in addition to having their own programming and recreational experience during their camp session.
Cradle Beach serves a diverse population of children: 44% are African American, 51% are Caucasian, 2% are Hispanic American and 3% are from other racial backgrounds.
63% of our children report that our program helps them with family relationships; 86% say that our program helps them to make better decisions; and 86% of our children say that our program helps them to identify caring adults.
Our Facility
Cradle Beach was founded on the shores of Lake Erie in Angola, N.Y. in 1888.
Our location consists of more than 60 acres of beach, wooded areas, paved nature trails, and open space.
The facilities include 14 cabins, large dining and recreation hall, infirmary, computer lab, library and an arts and crafts center. All buildings are designed to meet the special needs of our children.
Outdoor facilities include NY state’s ONLY fully accessible treehouse, a tennis court, basketball court, baseball field, walking-hiking trails, low ropes course, a universally accessible playground, adaptive challenge course and a swimming pool -- one of very few in the state to be fully accessible to all children.
Cradle Beach has a unique service model, innovative programs,
and demonstrated impacts.
We change children for good.
