Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States. Behind that statistic is an entire ecosystem of organizations working to change it — through research, education, policy, and direct community action.
Whether you are looking for swim lessons, CPR training, educational materials for your child's school, or simply want to support the cause, these nine organizations are doing critical work that every parent should be aware of.
National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA)
The leading coalition of drowning prevention advocates in the United States, uniting professionals, researchers, and families around a single goal: zero preventable drownings.
The NDPA funds and publishes drowning prevention research, provides educational resources for families and professionals, advocates for stronger water safety policy at every level of government, and hosts an annual national conference bringing together experts from across the field.
Safe Kids Worldwide
A global nonprofit dedicated to preventing childhood injuries — including drowning, which remains one of the leading causes of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4.
Safe Kids runs community-based programs in all 50 states, organizes national safety campaigns during peak swimming season, publishes research on childhood injury trends, and partners with government agencies to amplify drowning prevention messaging.
American Red Cross
One of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world, the Red Cross has been at the forefront of water safety education for over a century — from swim lessons to lifeguard certification.
The Red Cross offers structured swim lessons for all ages, trains and certifies lifeguards nationwide, provides CPR and first aid certification courses, and develops water safety curricula used by schools and community programs across the country.
Infant Swimming Resource (ISR)
A specialized program focused exclusively on teaching babies and toddlers self-rescue swimming skills — the ability to survive an unexpected fall into water before they can swim conventionally.
ISR provides one-on-one survival swim lessons for children ages 6 months to 6 years. The program teaches infants to roll onto their backs and float, and teaches toddlers the float-swim-float-swim sequence to reach safety independently.
YMCA
The YMCA has been a pillar of community health for over 170 years, and water safety remains one of its core programs — with a specific focus on making swim education accessible to underserved communities.
YMCAs across the country offer affordable swim lessons for all ages and skill levels, water safety education for parents and caregivers, lifeguard training and certification, and community outreach programs targeting families who may not otherwise have access to pools or instruction.
World Health Organization (WHO)
The United Nations agency responsible for global public health, including setting international standards and recommendations for drowning prevention — a problem the WHO has identified as a neglected public health issue.
The WHO published the landmark Global Report on Drowning in 2014, issues evidence-based policy recommendations to member nations, tracks global drowning statistics, and advocates for drowning prevention to be included in national public health agendas worldwide.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
The federal agency responsible for product safety in the United States, including setting and enforcing safety standards for residential pool barriers, drain covers, and other pool-related equipment.
The CPSC runs the Pool Safely campaign to educate families about drowning prevention, issues product recalls for defective pool safety equipment, sets mandatory safety standards for drain covers and pool barriers, and publishes research on pool and spa hazards.
Colin's Hope
A nonprofit founded in memory of Colin Holst, who drowned at age 4 at a community pool. The organization channels that tragedy into education, advocacy, and community action to prevent other families from experiencing the same loss.
Colin's Hope delivers water safety programs directly to schools, organizes community awareness events during Water Safety Month, runs public campaigns to educate parents about supervision and barriers, and advocates for stronger water safety regulations.
Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation
Founded after the drowning death of 2-year-old Joshua Collingsworth, this foundation uses children's literature and swim scholarships to make water safety education engaging and accessible for the youngest children.
The foundation distributes the "Josh the Otter" children's book to schools and libraries, provides swim lesson scholarships to families in need, runs community water safety education events, and partners with local organizations to expand access to swim instruction.
How Parents Can Get Involved
Knowing about these organizations is a great first step. Here are concrete ways you can support drowning prevention efforts in your own community.
Many of these organizations have local chapters or affiliate programs that need volunteers for events, swim lesson assistance, and community outreach.
Financial contributions help fund swim scholarships, school programs, and research. Even small donations to organizations like Colin's Hope or the Josh the Otter Foundation go directly to children's water safety education.
Follow these organizations on social media and share their resources with other parents, grandparents, and caregivers in your community. Awareness saves lives.
The American Red Cross and YMCA both offer CPR certification. Being trained to respond in an emergency is one of the most impactful things any parent can do.
Attend city council meetings, support local pool fence ordinances, and push for swim lesson programs in public schools. Policy change starts at the community level.
Every one of these organizations exists because drowning is preventable — and because someone decided to act. Whether you volunteer an afternoon, share a social media post, or simply enroll your child in swim lessons, you become part of the solution.