Evaluating Y-USA Water Safety Communication Tools

Female Coach In Water Giving Group Of Children Swimming Lesson In Indoor Pool

Problem

Little is known about whether community water safety education tools effectively serve families across different communities.

Drowning is a leading cause of death among children ages 5 to 14 in the United States, with higher risk in communities with limited access to swim lessons and water-safety resources. Providing clear, targeted water-safety education is a proven strategy to reduce drowning by building families’ knowledge, preparedness, and protective behaviors.

YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) provides two tools to help local YMCAs deliver the Safety Around Water (SAW) program: the Program Model Needs Assessment (PMNA), which helps YMCAs understand community needs and tailor program delivery, and the Family Education Guide (FEG), which gives staff structured, session-aligned safety topics to engage parents and caregivers. Y-USA partnered with NORC to evaluate how well these tools help YMCAs plan programs, involve families, and deliver clear, actionable water-safety information across a range of communities.

Solution

NORC administered surveys to evaluate the usability, feasibility, and desirability of the communication tools across two Y-USA cohorts.

Y‑USA needed timely, practical evidence on how two communication tools serving different audiences performed across a range of YMCA sites. NORC conducted a cross-sectional study, developing two tailored surveys: one assessing the PMNA across 10 YMCAs and another capturing staff, parent, and caregiver perspectives on the FEG across 20 YMCAs.

We analyzed close-ended responses with descriptive statistics and applied rapid thematic analysis to open-ended responses, surfacing implementation insights on a timeline that matched Y-USA’s decision-making needs. By comparing findings across audiences and methods, NORC produced actionable recommendations on simplifying tool formats, improving visual elements, and optimizing delivery channels to make water safety education more accessible for families.

Result

Findings confirmed both tools’ effectiveness and identified concrete ways to broaden their reach.

The evaluation found that both tools meaningfully support YMCAs in delivering community-responsive SAW programming. The PMNA provided a clear structure for identifying local needs and aligning programming with community priorities. The FEG effectively supported staff in engaging parents and caregivers, with YMCAs describing it as clear, easy to use, and helpful for communicating key water safety messages. Parents and caregivers also found the materials understandable, relevant, and useful for reinforcing safety topics at home.

Both YMCAs and families identified opportunities to expand accessibility, including culturally tailored examples, age-specific content, and translated materials. These findings are informing Y-USA’s efforts to strengthen engagement in communities with limited access to water safety resources