71% of the World is Water & Children Are 100% Curious

Drowning can happen nearly anywhere with standing water. But, as a parent or caregiver, you can’t keep your children sidelined. You need to equip them with the tools they need to be confident in and around water so they don’t lose out on the health benefits of exercise, the opportunities to bond with family and friends, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from learning new skills.

Consider these startling statistics:

Three children die every day as a result of drowning.
Drowning is the second-leading cause of death for children from 5-14 years old.
Sixty percent of youth drowning incidents occur under adult supervision.
Ten percent of youth drowning incidents occur within 10 feet of safety.

The YMCA has a unique opportunity to help with this social need.

There are more than 900 Ys in 10,000 communities across the country.
The Y owns and operates more swimming pools than any other organization in the country.
In 2013, Ys delivered swim instruction to more than 1.2 million children.
The Y engages 9 million youth in its programs annually.

What can you do as a parent? Take the family pledge when using pools.

FAMILY PLEDGE

We will always watch children around water.
We will stay within arm’s reach of young children in the water.
We will swim near a lifeguard.
We will reach or throw—not go—to help a swimmer who is in trouble.
We will learn CPR.
We will enroll children in swim lessons.

YMCA swim lessons are available year-round. Swim lessons are offered to children beginning at 6 months of age through Waterbabies parent/child lessons. Small group lessons begin at age 3. The Waukee Family YMCA offers a progressive aquatics program that works to help meet the needs of everyone—from both children and adults learning to swim, to advanced-level swimmers pursuing competitive goals.

To register for Y swim lessons, visit www.dmymca.org or visit the Y. YMCAs also offer safe, year-round environments for open swimming and lap swimming. Join the Y, and receive free open swim benefits, as well as early registration dates and reduced program fees for swim lessons.