[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 123 (Friday, August 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1299-E1300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YMCAS THAT PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH SAFE 
                            SWIMMING SKILLS

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2014

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember 
the three children who die every day as a result of drowning--and to 
recognize organizations, like YMCAs across the country, that are 
working to give children and youth the skills to prevent these tragic 
accidents from happening.
  Drowning is the leading cause of death nationally for children aged 
1-4, and is the second leading cause of death for children aged 5-9. 
For children between 5 and 9, the drowning rate for African American 
and American Indian children is roughly 3 times that of white children, 
and African American children aged 11 and 12 are 10 times more likely 
to drown in pools than their white counterparts. Regardless of race, 
lower income populations disproportionately bear the burden of drowning 
in their communities.
  During 2013, 7 children drowned in the Dallas metropolitan area. In 
Texas, 82 children were victims of drowning. During 2012, 66% of child 
drowning victims in Texas were male.
  Both in Texas and across the country, there is an opportunity and a 
need to save these children's lives--to reach out to communities that 
historically have not had access to swimming and drowning prevention 
programs. Many low-income children live in housing complexes with 
unguarded swimming pools, and in hot summer months, these pools may be 
the only way to cool down, as many of the housing units lack air 
conditioning.
  The YMCA is one example of an organization that is changing 
statistics for children across the country. The YMCA is bringing 
swimming safety and drowning prevention programs to these community 
sites. YMCAs also partner with schools to bring kids to the Y for 
lessons and offer swimming lessons year-round. I am thrilled that the 
YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas is one of the 15 YMCAs across the country 
piloting a program to reduce youth incidences of drowning. The YMCA 
makes an effort to go into underserved communities to teach drowning 
prevention and water safety to children who otherwise would not have 
access to these life-saving skills. Moreover, the YMCA of Metropolitan 
Dallas is one of 103 Ys providing additional scholarships to children 
in their community that may not otherwise have access to swim lessons 
as part of a nation-wide data collection project on effectiveness of 
skill instruction in all communities.
  I would like to congratulate the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas on its 
innovative efforts to save the lives of all our children, and to join

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them in educating parents and providing children the skills they need 
to swim safely and avoid harm.

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