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Kids Alive and Ready Set Dance team up to reduce child drownings
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Freya Lucas
Sep 05, 2024
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A new series of interactive water safety education shows will be rolled out to early childhood settings across Australia this Spring thanks to the continuation of the successful partnership between Kids Alive – Do the Five and Ready Set Dance (RSD).
The Interactive Water Safety Shows will be hosted by RSD studios at local early education centres and community groups starting September 1, continuing throughout the month.The shows bring vital water safety messages to life through song and dance, and are expected to have a significant impact given the 250 RSD locations established across metro and rural Australia.
In 2023 alone 15 children under four years of age lost their lives to drowning. While this reflects a 6 per cent decrease from the previous year and a 25 per cent reduction from the 10- year average, Kids Alive goal remains to bring this number to zero.
“The steady decline in drowning rates among young children over recent years highlights the impact of ongoing public awareness, education, and advocacy initiatives,” Kids Alive Managing Director Emma Lawrence said.
“Nevertheless, this age group continues to be at significant risk, making it crucial to sustain and build upon these efforts to ensure the positive progress achieved over the past two decades remains on track.”
As with many core concepts transmitted during the early years, the repetition of key information remains a vital way to ensure that more children are exposed to water safety education in a way that’s fun, engaging, and memorable for young children, Ms Lawrence added.
RSD’s Chief Creative Director Belinda Agostino is proud of the partnership, highlighting the unique blend of dance and safety education.
“Our studios are thrilled to be part of such an important initiative,” she said.
“Through these interactive shows we can make water safety a natural part of children’s lives, blending the joy of dance with lessons that could save lives.”
Educators or community groups are encouraged to organise an Interactive Water Safety Show through their local Ready Set Dance studio.
“The show content addresses key safety water safety hazards head-on by reinforcing the importance of constant adult supervision and messages for the home, pool, farm and beach Environments,” Ms Agostino explained.
“Our partnership with Kids Alive enables us to bring these life-saving messages to the most vulnerable under 5s and our studio owners are passionate about helping to share them with their local community.”
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