Ensuring Every Child Learns Lifesaving Water Skills
As summer winds down, families are flocking to lakes, oceans, and pools to soak in the last few days of vacation. But amid the fun and laughter, there's a critical topic that should always be top of mind for parents and caregivers: water safety.
Drowning is a silent crisis, claiming the lives of 4,500 people annually in the United States – an average of 12 people every day. It's one of the leading causes of unintentional death for children, with more kids ages one to four dying from drowning than any other cause. According to the CDC, drowning deaths are now on the rise after decades of decline.
However, drowning can be a preventable tragedy as increased access to basic swimming and water skills training can save lives.
Unfortunately, recent actions by Congress threaten to impose barriers to expanding access to drowning prevention programs. The House Appropriations Committee recently eliminated funding for the CDC Injury Center’s National Drowning Prevention Program in the 2025 appropriations bill. The National Drowning Prevention Program has helped the CDC expand drowning surveillance in partnership with state and local health departments and has helped better track drowning deaths to help tailor interventions that address common risk factors nationwide.
However, Congress still has an opportunity to reverse this decision and fund this vital, life-saving program relied upon by institutions like the YMCA, American Red Cross, and many other nonprofits.
Part of this funding helps organizations further scale proven drowning prevention programs, giving more children access to lifesaving water skills, such as the Y’s Safety Around Water program and swim lessons, which serve over one million children annually.
Safety Around Water is an eight-lesson program designed to increase access to basic swimming and water safety skills training. It includes instruction of basic skills to help kids get comfortable in the water, simple instructions to follow if they unexpectedly find themselves in water, and fun activities to reinforce these lessons, transforming water safety skills from a summer activity into a lifelong skill set.
This program provides children with the competencies and confidence needed to combat the risk of drowning and provides a layer of protection around a child so that if a child finds himself in water alone, he will know how to get to safety.
Once kids master these basics, they can continue to build their skills and grow their confidence through more in-depth swim lessons. Every journey towards success begins with a first step, and the Y proudly offers this attainable first step for families through this program.
Water safety and swimming lessons can be daunting for parents. Despite 9 out of 10 parents agreeing that swimming is an essential life skill, 24 percent still lack confidence in their child's water safety skills.
Given that 70% of the Earth's surface is water, the likelihood of children encountering a body of water at some point is almost guaranteed. This reinforces the importance of Congress’s support of the CDC’s National Drowning Prevention Program. With this funding, the Y and other nonprofits can continue teaching children life-saving water safety skills, making family outings to the pool or beach safer and more enjoyable. As parents, caregivers, or adults invested in the future of our youth, let’s ensure that every child has the chance to learn critical water safety skills.
