A nature-based Boulder County camp has been shut down after county officials paid a visit in July and found that children had been using an outhouse with improper hand-washing facilities and a well used for drinking water had not been tested for safety.
Colorado Department of Human Services spokesman Lee Rasizer said that the department issued Feet on the Earth a cease-and-desist letter on Friday for Feet on the Earth to stop “unlicensed child care activity.”
“The letter provided information on how to apply for a child care license so they may resume operations,” Rasizer said. “If Feet on the Earth wishes to continue operating, it must seek a license through the Office of Early Childhood.”
Lorene Wapotich, the founder and executive director of Feet on the Earth, a nonprofit, said that the organization works to connect children with nature and performs nature-based “rites of passage” ceremonies for some children who have been with the organization for several years.
She said she has reached out to the state and county to see about getting a license and finding out whether her organization qualifies for an exemption. Wapotich added she understands that the laws and regulatory agencies have good intentions — protecting children — but she added that her programs have kept kids safe for several years.
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