When it comes to water safety, the most critical risk for toddlers is the act of breathing.
This isn’t just a scare tactic—it’s a fact backed by statistics. Drowning ranks as the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 in the United States, claiming more lives annually than car accidents, birth defects, or cancer. Alarmingly, the federal initiative focused on preventing these fatalities has recently been shuttered, raising concerns among child safety advocates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has terminated its drowning prevention efforts due to significant layoffs across the agency. This program was part of the broader injury prevention division, which suffered a staff reduction exceeding 90% in April 2025, dropping from 130 specialists to a mere 12, according to reports from The Washington Post and Reuters.
This decision comes at a time when drowning fatalities remain alarmingly high, disproportionately affecting families who may not have the means to afford private swim lessons or pool barriers.
What the CDC’s drowning program aimed to achieve
The CDC’s drowning prevention program was developed as a response to the increasing drowning rates observed during the pandemic. This initiative focused on understanding the circumstances of drowning incidents, identifying effective interventions, and reaching at-risk populations, which include children with disabilities, autism, and those from underprivileged, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities. Data from the CDC shows that Black children aged 10–14 have drowning rates that are 7.6 times higher than their white counterparts.
Although specific staffing and budget details for this program have not been disclosed, reports from Scary Mommy indicate that the team consisted of three full-time professionals and operated on an annual budget of around $2 million—a modest investment compared to the estimated $4 million in medical costs and productivity losses associated with a single drowning death.
As of August 2025, that team—and the critical federal support it provided—has vanished.
The risks are real—and not equally distributed
The CDC states that unintentional drowning results in approximately 4,000 deaths each year in the U.S., with another 8,000 individuals surviving but often suffering debilitating injuries, including permanent brain damage. Toddlers and young children face the highest risks, though these threats are not uniformly experienced.
A 2018 CDC study found that African American children are far more likely to drown in swimming pools, while American Indian and Alaska Native children have the highest drowning rates in natural water settings like lakes and rivers.
Children with autism are also at significantly greater risk. A study published in Autism Research Review showed that children with autism spectrum disorder are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than their neurotypical peers.
For many of these children, access to swim lessons is crucial for saving lives. However, without federal funding, the ability to access these lessons becomes dependent on families’ capacity to manage and pay for private alternatives.
What parents can do now
It should never be the case that families have to piece together drowning prevention tactics one child at a time. Nevertheless, until policies adapt to these challenging realities, here are some actionable resources:
Free or Low-Cost Swim Lessons
- YMCA: Local YMCAs often provide financial assistance for swim programs. Search for a center near you at ymca.org.
- Red Cross Swim Programs: These programs offer water safety education and swim instruction for both children and adults, typically at community pools at a low cost. More information is available at redcross.org.
- Make a Splash (USA Swimming Foundation): This initiative connects families to local swim schools that offer free or affordable lessons. Visit usaswimming.org for details.
- Local Parks and Recreation Departments: Check with your city or county for subsidized or sliding-scale swim programs, especially in the summer.
Home safety measures
- Install four-sided pool fencing with self-latching gates.
- Utilize door alarms or pool covers if your backyard has water access.
- Immediately empty tubs, kiddie pools, and containers after use.
- Maintain an arm’s reach of children in or near any water body.
- Take a CPR class—even basic compressions can save lives while waiting for emergency assistance.
Moms deserve better than this
Eliminating a program dedicated to safeguarding toddlers from their greatest danger doesn’t seem like an efficient choice; it feels like a reckless one.
Once again, the responsibility of prevention is being placed on families—primarily mothers—who already manage a heavy mental load, from organizing doctor appointments to handling preschool pickups. This issue transcends parenting; it represents a failure in public health.
What is needed are systemic solutions, not merely swim scholarships. This includes reinvesting in data-driven programs, restoring the CDC’s injury prevention team, and recognizing that child safety should never be optional or deemed expendable for the sake of efficiency.
What this truly reveals about parenting in America
We shouldn’t be posing the question: Can families handle this? Instead, the question should be: Why should they have to?
When mothers express feelings of exhaustion, overwhelm, and being stretched too thin, this is precisely what they refer to. They’re not only taking care of children—they’re also shouldering the burdens of a society that continues to transfer its responsibilities onto those it claims to prioritize.
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