New regulation expands Florida swim lesson program

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a invoice into regulation Tuesday that expands the state’s swimming lesson voucher program, making kids between the ages of 1 and 7- eligible for the state’s swimming lesson voucher program. Before the growth, it was solely accessible to kids 4 years previous and beneath.

Drowning is the main reason for unintended deaths in kids between the ages of 1 and 4 in Florida. According to the Florida Senate’s Bill Analysis and Fiscal Statement, kids between the ages of 1 to 7 made up practically 20% of the drawing deaths within the state in 2024.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) stated the laws is centered round prevention. It was impressed by advocates and households who had a drowning tragedy and need to assist save lives.

“It ensures that new parents have access to drowning prevention information resources,” Eskamani stated. “It requires that those parents be educated on the risks of drowning, including in something as daily as bath time…our hope is by expanding the eligibility for that program, more kiddos can get trained on how to swim and be able to teach others around them to protect themselves and protect others.”

In 2024, Florida handed SB 547 that established the state’s swimming voucher program. In this fiscal yr, the Department of Health obtained 16,663 purposes for swimming lesson vouchers. Out of these purposes, the DOH awarded vouchers to 4,945 purposes.

“We don’t have enough vouchers for the amount of requests that come in,” Eskamani stated. “There is a need for the legislature to increase funding for these programs, because there really is a high, high demand for it…we are also trying to reach families that have a high risk of elopement and drowning. But beyond that specific allocation for that specific demographic of Floridians, there’s a lot more we need to do to increase funding for this program.”

As a part of the regulation, the Department of Health will now require hospitals, delivery facilities, house delivery suppliers, and childbirth educators to present educational materials on drowning prevention to folks and caregivers postpartum.

The regulation increasing this system will take impact on July 1.