WHERE OUR COMMUNITY’S KIDS ARE SAFE

The New Canaan YMCA is committed to creating a safe space for all kids. Learn more about important child safety information below.

Five Days of Action^® is an annual, week-long campaign designed to raise awareness and inspire adults to take action to protect children from sexual abuse.

Know the Facts

When evaluating camps, sports, and other activities for your child, do you KNOW what questions to ask about abuse prevention? As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults, we play a vital role in protecting children and teens from abuse. Learn the key questions to ask from Praesidium, the YMCA’s partner in child abuse prevention: praesidiuminc.com/6-key-questions-a-parent-should-ask-of-an-organization.

See the Signs

When we SEE grooming patterns—methodical, subtle, gradual, and escalating behaviors used to groom a child for sexual abuse—we can identify them, strengthen our intuition, and protect children. Learn the 6 grooming behaviors every parent or caregiver needs to know and what to do if you see them, from our partner, Saprea: saprea.org/blog/6-perpetrator-grooming-behaviors.

Respond & Teach

Responding starts when a child or teen feels heard and is helped. How can you take action to prevent child sexual abuse? The Trusted Triangle (for younger children) and the Safety NETwork (for older youth) are strategies from Lauren’s Kids Safer, Smarter Families Family Safety Toolkit. These resources are designed to help families and caregivers teach personal and digital safety in a comfortable and accessible way.

Grades K-2: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-k-2

Grades 3-5: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-3-5

Get Connected & Informed

After learning the importance of Know. See. Respond. we learned practical tools for preventing child sexual abuse—but our work is never done. The New Canaan YMCA is committed to year-round prevention, and we hope you are, too! Stay connected and informed by visiting fivedaysofaction.org

Pledge to Protect

The goal of this campaign is to build awareness of child sexual abuse and how all adults can prevent it.

As you know, the New Canaan YMCA has a long commitment to ensuring the children and youth we serve are safe and protected from abuse. As part of this commitment, and in addition to our existing trainings and policies, we are excited to announce that we are pursuing Praesidium Accreditation. Praesidium is a leader in abuse risk management and, for more than 30 years, has worked globally with thousands of organizations across industries to help them assess, prevent, and respond to sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults.

We pledge to protect the children we serve, and we hope you will too! Head over to fivedaysofaction.org to sign the pledge & learn more!

The New Canaan YMCA is committed to teaching the lifesaving skill of swimming to kids of all ages and beyond.

New Canaan YMCA Swim Lesson Program

The Y offers a variety of swim programs that teach water safety skills and give children and adults the chance to explore the many health benefits of swimming. The National Y swim lesson program is designed for ages six months and older. Swim lesson participants learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by mastering the six stages of the program, from water acclimation to stroke mechanics. The Y’s swim lessons take place on-site in the Forese Family Pool year-round, and off-site at the Steve Benko Pool in Waveny Park in the summer.

Swim Lessons for All

In order to ensure everyone has access to the life-saving skill of swimming, the New Canaan YMCA recently updated its financial assistance program to provide swim lessons at no cost to New Canaan residents who receive SNAP, Husky A or D, or WIC benefits. For additional information about this swim lesson opportunity, contact Diana Riolo, Assistant Director of Development & Community Impact at the New Canaan YMCA, at 203-920-1685 or [email protected].

Water Safety Tips

As a leader in water safety, the Y shares the following recommendations to help keep our community safe while having fun in the water:

• Make sure children know to always ask permission before going in or near the water.
• Be a water watcher and practice “phone down, eyes up” at the pool, beach, or lakeside. Your eyes can save lives by watching those in the water instead of your phone.
• Ensure your children are within arm’s reach at all times while swimming.
• Designate a “safety seat” near the water, a secure and stable position for children or individuals new to swimming.
• Don’t engage in breath-holding activities.
• Inexperienced or non-swimmers should always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while in or around the water.
• Practice the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach and pull friends struggling in deep water to safety.
• Know your limits and don’t overestimate your swimming abilities, especially in unfamiliar water.