Nudist Camps for Kids Get Mixed Reaction

T A M P A, Fla., June 24 -- — Erich and Georgie Schuttauf dress their kids conservatively for church every Sunday, but in their free time they don't bother with clothes at all.

The Schuttaufs have enjoyed nude recreational activities as a family for years. Now that their two girls are getting older, they say there is a possibility that they'll send them off to a kids' nudist camp on their own.

Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the American Associationfor Nude Recreation, says he believes that being nude helps build kids' self-esteem and confidence.

"The message is self-acceptance and having a healthy esteem for your body but also realizing that it should be respected," Schuttauf told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.

Erich's wife Georgie, a stay-at-home mom who home schools her children, says being nude has increased her confidence and has made her feel comfortable in her own skin.

No Shame in Nudity

"This is not something we're ashamed of," Georgie Schuttauf said."As people get to know us, certainly our pastor knows, we are able to share that with them," she said.

The Schuttaufs say a week-long nudist summer camp in Tampa, which admits kids ages 11 to 18, will give the campers an extremely natural and positive experience. There are only two similar camps in the United States, one in Arizona and one in Virginia.

The Schuttauf's two oldest children, 11-year-old Alexandra and 9-year-old Madeleine have been recreational nudists for as long as they can remember. The girls said they didn't see the difference between a nudist camp and a traditional camp.

Meanwhile, government officials in states where these camps have cropped up are expressing concern over the new trend.

U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of Florida, who is the co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, sent a letter Thursday to Gov. Jeb Bush asking him to determine whether the camp is legal.

Foley says the camp, which is run by the American Association forNude Recreation, subjects children to denigrating and dangerous behavior and could expose them to pedophiles.