What We Do

Mikayla Cares Foundation supports families by providing swim protective gear and kits, increasing awareness around learning to swim, educational resources and financial support to families who cannot afford swim lessons.

Child swimming

Water Safety Resources

“4,000 people in the U.S. die by drowning every year”
— The Washington Post, July 17, 2023

According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death in children. In the U.S. More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death except birth defects. For children ages 1-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicles. Swimming pools are the site of most drownings of children under 5.

Not everyone who drowns dies, however. The CDC says that about 8,000 people each year (22 per day) experience what is called a nonfatal drowning, meaning the person survives but may sustain serious injury, such as brain damage or long-term disability.

Health experts agree that preventing drowning starts with children learning how to swim. In addition, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends never leaving a child unattended near water, installing barriers to pool access (such as locked gates, pool covers and alarms) and learning how to perform CPR.

YMCA graphic with swimming statistics
Black parents 1.6x more likely than cumulative U.S. parents surveyed overall to report having low confidence with water. 44% have only beginner or no swimming abilities, a nearly 20 percentage point difference in comparison to other U.S. parents. Nearly 60% have negative associations toward lakes, rivers, beaches. Nearly 40% have negative sentiments toward pools.

Source: YMCA Relationship with Water

Learn More:

Tremelle at giveaway event

Swim Kit Giveaways

In support of water safety, MCF provides swim kits that include swim vests, goggles and caps for children, along with pool watcher lanyards and swim education information for parents.

Scholarships

Providing financial assistance and encouraging families and students when they need it.


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Swim

Mikayla Cares Foundation is committed to educating families about water safety and increasing the swimming capability of children. To that end, MCF is excited to offer financial support to families (children and adults) to afford swimming lessons. MCF offers swim scholarships for children living in the Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA or Miami, FL metropolitan areas on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Apply for a swim lesson scholarship


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Academic

Each year, the Mikayla Cares Foundation awards scholarships to high school and college students who are current or recent lifeguards or swim team members.

Visit our social media accounts beginning February 1 of each year for an application.