Making kids swim lessons more accessible
Published: 8 November 2024With summer just around the corner, we're making sure Victorian kids have the swimming skills they need to stay safe with affordable swimming lessons this summer.
Last summer, more than 16,000 children took part in the VICSWIM Summer Kidz Program at 169 locations across the state, with 120 of these located in regional Victoria.
An extra $117,000 will go to the Program to provide tailored learn to swim lessons for kids with disability and kids from multicultural backgrounds across the state.
The boost will create 400 extra spots for kids with disability and multicultural backgrounds to learn a range of water safety skills with specialised teachers trained to provide the appropriate support.
Lessons for kids with a disability will be provided across 6 council areas including Darebin, Merri-Bek, Frankston, Southern Grampians, Knox and Whittlesea. Kids from CALD families have the option of signing up for the extra swim lessons in 11 council areas across the state from regional cities like Mildura to metro suburbs including Dandenong.
Kathy Parton, CEO of Aquatics and Recreation Victoria said, ‘ARV is pleased to run its 49th annual VICSWIM Summer Kidz affordable water safety education/learn to swim program for children in beaches, lakes, rivers and aquatic centres across regional and metropolitan Victoria.’
‘This highly valued program has never been more important as it fills a vital void in the state’s Learn to Swim offering providing swimming lessons to communities who would often not have access to swimming lessons,’ she said.
The boost takes the Victorian Government’s investment in the program over 2 years to $917,000. It’s part of wide-ranging efforts to stem the tide of drownings seen in recent summers, and to ensure even more kids get their chance to learn water-safety basics.
VICSWIM’s learn-to-swim program has helped generations of youngsters learn the skills, water-safety and survival knowledge that is so vital in saving lives.
The program includes lessons to develop foundation swimming skills as well as water safety education for children aged 4 to 12 years at a subsidised cost of $35 for 5 30-minute lessons over the course of a week.
Registrations for the VICSWIM Summer Kidz Program open on Wednesday 13 November. For more information about the VICSWIM Summer Kidz Program visit the VICSWIM website.