Expert Speaks: Pool and Swim Safety with Angela Wild

Early childhood educators play a critical role in the lives of young children and their families around the world. As the administrator of the Child Development Associate® (CDA), the Council for Professional Recognition is at the forefront of ensuring that early childhood educators are aware of and trained in education best practices and the highest quality of care for young children. The Council does this by meeting with many experts in the field, as well as adjacent fields, to discuss, understand, and evaluate the latest research on topics impacting early childhood education. As part of these efforts, we are excited to bring you our new series, Experts Speak, in which the Council sits down with experts to discuss topics that impact the field of early childhood education.

Whether living near a coastline or in the middle of the country, when summer hits, the temptation to go for a swim will strike, and little children are not immune from that temptation. But with that option for fun comes a set of risks that are acute for young children. This is why early childhood educators must be aware of drowning prevention measures. And it is why Angela Wild, Owner of Elemental Aquatics, Co-Founder of the United States Drowning Research Alliance, and Member of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, still spends about 35 hours a week in the pool teaching young children and families how to be safe in the water.

“Swim lessons are more than just teaching kids how to swim. It’s an all-encompassing recreational activity that benefits them in both health and wellness. I pursued Graduate School with an emphasis in preschool age swimmers. I really wanted to bridge the gap in the academics doing research, and those swim instructors that are in the pool but may not have access to what academia has been doing.” She says. With her experience, this is what she has to say about pool and swimming safety for our youngest learners.

The Importance of Swim Lessons and Water Competency

First and foremost, Angela states, “My best recommendation for children as young as one or even younger can be enrolled and do really well with lessons. It is a wonderful time to start, and my best recommendation is just getting them in ear swim lessons early and be consistent.” In general, Angela notes that there are two main formats and goals with teaching young children how to swim, traditional swim lessons and infant survival swim lessons.

If a child has a fear of the water, Angela advises families, guardians, and caregivers not to forgo swimming lessons. Instead, look for swim instructors that your child already knows because “for a child to learn and absorb information, they have to be in an environment where they have a good rapport with that individual in charge. When those factors are in place, the child is receptive to learning.”

Most importantly, for swim instructors teaching children who are nervous around the water, “Your biggest tool when teaching children to swim is going to be patience, empathy, compassion and then always be willing to learn. Because fear or trauma-based practices will do nothing to ensure the child will have an enjoyable water experience.”

The 5 Layers of Protection Around Water

However, being a responsible care provider for a child at a pool or large body of water goes beyond making sure a child attends swimming lessons. The National Drowning and Prevention Association (NDPA) advocates for 5 layers of protection around water:

1. Barriers and Alarms – Bodies of water should have barriers and alarms in use.
2. Supervision – There should always be a one-to-one ratio of adults to children and adults should practice touch supervision.
3. Water Competency – Education is key. Make sure every child and adult knows how to swim and what to do in an emergency.
4. Life Jackets – Children should wear U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets. Flotation devices should not replace vigilant or touch supervision.
5. Emergency Preparation – Before entering a pool, caregivers should make sure that correct and working safety measures are in use. Be aware of where rescue equipment, such as Shepard’s crooks, life rings, life buoys, and rescue tubes, are. If a jacuzzi is present, know where the emergency shutoff switches are.

Download this List of Best Safety Practices.

What Should You Do If An Emergency Occurs?

Silence in the Water

Public perception of what someone drowning looks like is often riddled with misconceptions. Angela explains, “We are victims of Hollywood and the depictions of drowning as this arm-flailing and splashing and bobbing up and down in the water. But what most families who have lost children by drowning will tell you it is quick and silent.”

“Often, care providers do not report hearing a splash for infants, toddlers and young children.” Angela tells us, “They may have accidentally fallen into a pool because they are reaching to pick up that floating rubber ducky or the pool noodle that might be floating by, and they fall into the pool. So, there’s very little splash or noise.”

What follows is often just as silent, Angela continues, “Children will then often enter what’s called the drowning position, where they will remain vertical. Unfortunately, that position will then eventually lead to drowning. So, the adult mindset that they will expect to hear a child cry for help, or they will expect a large splash is ill informed.” This is why if suddenly a child can’t be found, it’s vital for parents and caregivers to search bodies of water first.

What to Do When a Child is Drowning

Angela advises first to have someone go for help, including calling for lifeguards and calling 911 while you keep an eye on the person in trouble. Do not dive in to retrieve an individual; leave that to professionals if possible. Angela tells us, “Because unfortunately they may have injuries that you are unaware of  and pulling them out of the water may actually aggravate the condition or make them worse.”

While waiting for lifeguards and first responders, you can help by throwing out a floatation device or a  Shepard’s crook or even a pool noodle to reach out to them. Only go in to retrieve an individual if there are no professionals around and aim to do so with a buddy so that you can work together to get the drowning person to safety. This should be your last resort. Once a person has been retrieved, immediately begin administering CPR rescue breaths.

Download this List of What to Do in Case of an Emergency.

Model Safe Behaviors

By following the five layers of protection around water, caregivers of young children will hopefully never have to respond to a drowning. Angela explains, “We want to make sure that we’re teaching our children that the water is a fun place to be, but it can be dangerous. It’s also important that supervising adults demonstrate water safety.

Early childhood educators with a CDA who have studied the Essentials for Working with Young Children textbook can make all the difference when it comes to keeping children safe around water. Angela explains, “Water safety advocates, agree that early childhood educators, are at the forefront of pushing for water safety. If we had just one hour of water safety in the classroom during the school year, children could grow up with consistent water safety messages and practices that will have a lifelong impact.“

To learn more about Angela Wild, Elemental Aquatics, the United States Drowning Research Alliance, and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance can be found at:

• Elemental Aquatics – http://www.elementalsd.com/
• The Bouy Up Foundation: https://thebuoyupfoundation.org/
• The United States Drowning Research Alliance – https://www.usdrowningresearchalliance.com/
• The National Drowning Prevention Alliance – https://ndpa.org/ 
• The Water Safety Syndicate: https://www.thewatersafetysyndicate.org/

Sources:

• Moore, Calvin E., ed. Essentials for Working with Young Children. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: Council for Professional Recognition, 2023.
• “Layers of Protection.” NDPA, June 13, 2025. https://ndpa.org/layers/.