MIAMI, FL – December 09, 2025 – Zero Drownings Miami-Dade, a public-private initiative dedicated to reducing child drownings, announces the release of its new website, www.ZeroDrowningsMiamiDade.org. The site will serve as a central resource for drowning prevention education, water safety tips, community events, and support services for families and caregivers throughout Miami-Dade County.

Launched in 2024, the Zero Drownings Miami-Dade initiative provides 10, 30-minute, free water safety lessons for children as field trips during the program day. The new website builds on this mission by making essential resources easily accessible to parents, educators, and community members, empowering families with the tools they need to keep children safe in and around water. The website also features an interactive mapping tool for families to find afterschool and summer swim lessons for children of all ages from partnering swim programs.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children between the ages of 1 through 14 in Miami-Dade County. Research shows that swim lessons and water safety education can reduce drowning risks by up to 88%. In its first year, more than 2,500 Miami-Dade students completed the program and earned water safety certificates. The launch of this new website expands the safety support system, ensuring parents, guardians, educators, and the community at large have continuous access to drowning prevention resources.

The new site features:

• Educational resources on drowning prevention and aquatic injury awareness
• Water safety tips for parents and caregivers
• Drowning data and statistics specific to Miami-Dade County
• Program information and updates on Zero Drownings, Miami-Dade’s initiatives
• Multilingual access, including Spanish and Haitian Creole
• Opportunities to get involved, including information on donations

For more information, visit www.ZeroDrowningsMiamiDade.org.

The Zero Drownings Miami-Dade collaborative is made up of government entities, private philanthropy and educational system partners. 

Anchor partners include: Miami-Dade County, The Children’s Trust, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, The Miami Foundation, American Red Cross, and United Way Miami.

Other funding partners include: Edu Foundation, Templeton Family Foundation, Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, Peacock Foundation, Heckscher Foundation, and Florida Blue Foundation.

Partnering entities providing swim lessons for the program (in addition to Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Department) include: Ocaquatics Swim School, City of Miami, City of Miami Springs, City of Miami Gardens, and City of Doral, with new partners being added on an ongoing basis.

Media Contacts: 

The Children’s Trust

Natalia Zea, Chief Public Policy & Engagement Officer
Phone: 786.598.2208
Email: natalia@thechildrenstrust.org

Miami-Dade County

Ivan Castro, Chief of Communications for Parks

Cell: 305.302-6505

Email:  Ivan.Castro@miamidade.gov

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Elmo R. Lugo 

Cell: 786.697.8659

Email: erlugo@dadeschools.net