Drowning Is the #1 Killer of Young Children. This Water Safety Month, the YMCA Is Fighting Back.
DELAWARE – As part of National Water Safety Month this May, the YMCA of Delaware is encouraging both children and adults to build confidence in the water and make swim lessons a priority before summer begins.
According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1–4 in the United States. National drowning deaths have also increased in recent years, reversing decades of progress. Many drowning incidents happen quickly and silently, often when adults are nearby but distracted for only a moment.
Swim lessons help children and adults become safer and more confident around water while teaching important lifesaving skills such as floating, treading water, breath control, and how to respond safely in an emergency. Lessons also help build confidence, reduce fear around water, encourage healthy activity, and create lifelong skills families can carry with them anywhere.
At the YMCA of Delaware, making those lifesaving skills accessible to every family is part of our mission. The Y offers swim lessons for all ages and ability levels at locations across Delaware, including Wilmington, Newark, Middletown, Dover, and Sussex County. Classes are available for infants as young as six months old, children, teens, and adults. Lessons are taught by nationally certified instructors in safe, supportive environments with lifeguards always on deck.
To help remove barriers to access, the YMCA of Delaware also provides financial assistance for qualifying families so more children can participate in swim lessons regardless of income.
Water safety is about more than learning strokes — it’s about awareness, preparation, and supervision. The YMCA encourages families to learn basic water safety skills, including wearing life jackets when appropriate, ensuring children learn how to swim as early as possible, and always having active adult supervision.
The YMCA’s commitment to water safety extends even further through Water Wise, a free swim lesson program for youth ages 3–17 designed to reach children most at risk of drowning. Since launching, Water Wise has helped more than 10,000 Delaware children learn essential swimming and water safety skills at no cost to their families, thanks to support from the USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash Initiative.
“In a state surrounded by water like Delaware, learning to swim is an essential life skill,” said Carolan Cross, Community VP, YMCA of Delaware. “At the YMCA, we are committed to helping children and families stay safe around water by expanding access to swim lessons, teaching water safety skills, and creating supportive environments where everyone can build confidence in and around the water.”
Families are encouraged to register early, as summer swim lesson sessions fill quickly.
Learn more or register for swim lessons at YMCA of Delaware online or in a branch.
Information about the Water Wise program is available here.
About the YMCA of Delaware
The YMCA of Delaware is Delaware’s largest nonprofit organization committed to empowering youth, fostering healthy living, and promoting strong communities. With seven branches statewide, a youth resource center, and an overnight camp and conference center in Worton, Maryland, the Y has developed longstanding relationships and a physical presence in Delaware so it can deliver lasting personal and social change. We are committed to serving everyone – regardless of age, income or background, nurturing the potential of every child and teen, improving Delaware’s health and wellbeing, and creating a healthy, inclusive community where all people reach their full potential. www.ymcade.org.
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