CAST Water Safety Foundation

10/25/2025

Welcome to the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce & Development website, where you can learn more about our membership, services, and events.

10/24/2025

09/20/2025

Each year, 945 children drown, and for every fatality, there are five more kids treated in an emergency room — many left with severe brain damage. That’s why...

09/19/2025

All around the country, in isolated tragic incidents… accidents… we loose kids. One by one. So many families and communities stay quiet. How do you even talk about something so sad?

I have now met dozens of loving, smart and educated families that have lost kids. Curious adorable toddlers and preschoolers usually.

I can assure you that none of these families ever realized that it could happen to them. They supervised at swim time and used US Coast Guard approved flotation devices during swim time at the pool (not realizing that this practice can be characterized under misuse or overuse of the device). Later they would find their children, unresponsive and usually fully clothed, in the pool.

First they wonder how a kid can drown when it is not even swim time. Many later reflect in hindsight that due to the support of the flotation aids, their child thought they could swim. What they really want to know is how they got through x years of parenting without being told that drowning is their child’s biggest risk or that it is most likely to happen during non-swim time.

Many Drs. that I meet are not even aware of the statistic that this is the leading cause of death for kids 1-4.

Grieving families later go on to pursue self-rescue swimming lessons for their surviving children. They understand that these lessons give not only skills that go with the child wherever they roam, but also a respect for water that may make them think twice before reaching for a toy or ball in the water.

And with the non-swim time statistic in mind, they install fences and door alarms. This protects and deters their own children, and all others who may visit their home.

But we don’t need to wait.

We endeavor to inspire one more parent to share information and education before tragedy strikes a little one they love. Be the voice for the kid who could later wind up just below the water’s surface unable to yell for help. Be the voice for the parent that is grieving and unable to find the words.

Share to save a life.

Thank you and for the info graphics and for your efforts to help save lives.

08/29/2025

4 ANNA Foundation recently contributed $20,000 towards CAST’s self-rescue swim scholarship fund. Every single penny of this will go directly to swim lesson tuition for qualifying students.

Through their continued generosity, the 4 ANNA Foundation has allowed CAST to reach nearly 100 children who would not otherwise have been able to afford lessons.

Please follow to learn more about Anna’s legacy and the Trent Family’s and initiatives.

Together we are saving lives

08/28/2025

Our CAST self-rescue skilled kiddos had such a safe and fun summer. For every fun photo I received of tubing, diving boards and water slides, there is also proof of that same kid in lessons.

When skills and safety come first, thrills and fun can soon follow.

Keeping safety and skills a priority saves lives!

03/04/2025

Repost from a few years back. Still so true 🩵.

This applies to many things in life. I read this life lesson in a article about a family living on the PCT. It reminded me of how our family has approached water.

If you want your kid to be comfortable in water, the worst time to stop lessons (or playtime at the pool) is when they’re upset.

Our instructors end each lesson after something positive has been accomplished. This reinforces the behaviors we are teaching and makes it more likely that we will see these behaviors repeated in the next lesson. Even if they are still crying, instructors are strategically building upon the skills that will equate to confidence and competence over time.

Small kids and babies communicate their feelings through tears and protests. Crying through an experience doesn’t mean they are in danger, being traumatized, or even that they’re scared. More likely, they are just expressing that they are displeased with the hard work and challenges they are facing in lessons*. Continued hard work is the only way to improve at something that you can’t yet do.

The only way to be safe in the water is to actually learn to swim & self-rescue.

If you stop swim lessons right when your kid is most upset, this will define their entire attitdue towards swimming and lessons. They’ll also be in great danger around water. If you keep going with swim lessons until your kid gains skills and confidence, well, then you will have a safer swimmer!
Likewise, if your kiddo has a scare during swim time with your family (they stay under longer than they wanted, struggle to get to the edge, fall off a raft, etc.) it is very important not to end the swim day while they are upset. Stay in the pool and create at least a few minutes of a calm and safe experience in the water. If this means you are holding them, this is fine. There is nothing wrong with a kiddo who knows water can be scary and wants to be held by a parent.

Keep going until your kid gets skills and confidence and believe me you’ll be glad you didn’t quit.

*As always, be sure you are taking lessons with a highly trained and certified instructor.

01/17/2025

✨Dive into a New Year of Gratitude and Optimism with Us! As we reflect on our impactful journey in 2024, we're thrilled to share our latest newsletter. This edition features our 2024 Impact Report, inspiring updates from Katie Reichert's ISR training, and a preview of the exciting events planned for 2025. ✨

Thank you for being a vital part of our mission to prevent childhood drowning. Your support not only honors Anna’s memory but also propels us forward, spreading hope and safety far and wide. 💙

💌 Want to stay updated? Sign up for our newsletter to receive all the latest updates – link in bio or visit us at 4anna.org.

01/15/2025

Real talk: If your child still needs a flotation device after swim lessons to be independent in the water, they can’t truly swim. And what’s worse than a kid who can’t swim, is a kid who thinks they can😞 Water is the most unforgiving environment on the planet, and it will unfortunately win against the unskilled (or the not fully skilled) every time.

The good news is they are capable of learning truly independent skills with the right lesson program and an instructor who really knows what they’re doing! There are a number of swim lesson offerings coming to the area which is great, but ask lots of questions about the training and expertise of the person teaching your child. Don’t settle for less than an expert ❤️We have a handful of spring slots left in Newtown including a few BEFORE 9a 🌷

j.porcelli@infantswim.com 🤗

01/11/2025

Together with our nation-wide partner instructor team, we are proud to offer self-rescue swim scholarships. These opportunities are available to families with living with special needs or disabilities, families with income based needs, as well as to families of teachers, nurses, first responders and the military.

We just approved our 900th self-rescue swim scholarship student! Each session is approximately 30 lessons and we also ensure these children are able to come back to maintenance lessons at a price they can afford. This means that well over 30,000 lessons have occurred at lower cost to qualifying families.

We are grateful to our donors for funding this and to our instructors for donating a portion of their time for every single one of these. That’s right, 900 times our team of instructors have chosen to forgo making a portion of their income to make lessons possible for families of community helpers as well as those that may not otherwise be able to afford lessons.

Approximately $250,000 has gone to scholarships so far. Again, this would not be possible without our generous donors.

A very special shout out and big thank you to our Director of Scholarships and Swim Family Support, Anna Biggins for keeping access, equity and inclusion at the heart of our mission and for reviewing and approving every single one of these over the last 5 years.

Before summer, we expect to hit the 1,000th scholarship. Stay tuned for details on a little celebration when this happens!

12/18/2024