Zero Drownings Miami-Dade: Reporting Back on First-Year Outcomes

In observance of National Water Safety Month, the Zero Drownings Miami-Dade initiative, almost one year after its groundbreaking launch, shared the progress made and introduced new partners at a news conference on Monday, May 19, at Miami-Dade Parks’ Marva Y. Bannerman Park Pool. The collaborative effort, uniting Miami-Dade County’s leading public and private organizations, has taken significant strides toward reducing child drownings, the leading cause of accidental death for children between the ages of one and 14 in Miami-Dade County.

The Zero Drownings Miami-Dade initiative delivers life-saving swim lessons through an innovative school-integrated model. Pre-selected 4 and 5-year-olds from Head Start programs, The Children’s Trust Thrive by 5 child care centers, and public school kindergartens participate in the two-week program as a daily school field trip, with transportation provided to nearby swim facilities. Since its inception in April 2024, the program has provided water safety and swim lessons to over 2,500 children across Miami-Dade County from 66 elementary schools and preschool centers.

Key developmental highlights include executing multiple agreements to fund, share data and operate the initiative. The Office of Drowning Prevention was established in the Miami-Dade County Parks to manage logistics and facilitate the program.

Another key development was the Park Foundation’s facilitation of a new transformative Management Information System for on-line registration, data sharing, analytical and class scheduling. The American Red Cross developed the first ever parents/caregivers on-line water safety course in Haitian Creole, which is being utilized throughout the United States.

Also, in its first year, 3,100 parents and children received drowning prevention resources and participated in community outreach programs. Empowering parents and caregivers to “#JoinTheZeroChallenge” is essential to the mission of the initiative, ensuring community-wide knowledge and skills to reduce drowning incidents in Miami.

The initiative also welcomed two new municipal partners so far- the City of Miami and City of Miami Springs, who provided swim lessons during the 24-25 school year.

“The Parks Foundation is proud to support the Zero Drownings initiative in partnership with Miami-Dade County Parks and fellow collaborators who share its lifesaving mission,” said Caroline O’Connor, President of the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade. “By teaching children essential swimming skills, we’re giving them the foundation for a lifetime of safety and confidence around water.”

New funders have also joined the Zero Drownings Miami-Dade Collaborative, adding to the generous funding support provided by The Children’s Trust, United Way Miami, Edu Foundation and Templeton Family Foundation. Florida Blue Foundation and the Peacock Foundation have both committed to supporting this effort financially.

The initiative’s results in its first year demonstrate measurable progress toward its ultimate goal of providing 20,000 children with swim lessons annually. For more information, please visit www.zerodrowningsmiamidade.org .