With this upcoming holiday weekend, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services announced via press release that it wants to remind parents to watch kids around water both inside and outside the home.
As of July 1st, there have been 33 reports of child water fatalities in the state since January. Currently 85% of the reported victims being five years of age or younger and 55% of the case locations being various types of pools.
“Drowning is quick and quiet, so preventing it requires constant visual supervision,” Liliana Mata, DFPS Faith-Based and Community Engagement Specialist, stated in the press release.
A responsible adult should actively supervise children anytime they are playing in or around swimming pools. It’s easy to get distracted, but the designated “water watcher” should always stay focused on the child.
So, no reading a book or looking at your phone when kids are in water if you are the water watcher. Also, any adult who is watching children around water should also be able to swim and/or rescue them if anything were to go wrong.
“Even if they know how to swim, kiddos can hit their heads, or get tired and get into trouble. Know what level of supervision your child needs and make sure you know who will be monitoring them,” Mata stated in the press release.
To ensure safety parents can also secure at-home pool areas with fences and gates. Pool alarms can also detect surface waves that alert parents when their child is in the water. Children should never be left unsupervised in water, even with floating devices or shallow water.
“It only takes one second,” Mata stated in the press release. “You turn your back for one second and a child is at the bottom of the pool. It’s a scary situation, but it can be prevented.”
For more information on water safety parents can visit our webpage www.watchkidsaroundwater.org.
Statewide Texas Child Drowning Statistics from 2011 to 2022 are available on the DPFS Prevention and Early Intervention website.
CHILD WATER SAFETY TIPS
Always supervise
A responsible adult should always supervise children in or around water. Keep new swimmers and non-swimmers within arm’s reach.
Make sure the adult knows CPR and has a phone to dial 9-1-1.
Have floatation devices available to use in a rescue (ones that can reach and float).
Drowning is quick and quiet. The adult should be undistracted at all times.
Share rules with anyone who may watch your child.
Teach water survival skills
Sign up your child for swim lessons. Make sure they are taught to:
Return to the surface if they fall in over their head.
Float or tread water.
Turn in a circle in the water and look for an exit.
Swim 25 yards (75 feet).
Get out of the pool without using the ladder.
Inside the house
Never leave small children alone near any container of water, including tubs, buckets, toilets or aquariums. Drain buckets and baths when done. A child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water.
Keep bathroom doors closed and secure toilet lids with locks.
Never leave young children alone in or around the bath. Drownings can happen in even tiny amounts of water.
Get what you need before filling the tub. If you need to leave the room, take the child with you.
Make sure children cannot leave the house to get to pools or hot tubs.
Outside the house
Never leave children alone in or around water (pools, kiddie pools, lakes, creeks, buckets, beaches, ponds or drainage ditches).
Constantly watch children when swimming or playing near water. They need a certified lifeguard or responsible adult within reach.
When pool is in use, completely remove pool covers and cleaning machines.
Secure the area around the pool with a fence, self-closing gate and alarms.
Find out if your child’s friends or neighbors have pools at their homes.
Do not allow children to swim in any water after heavy rains or flooding.
