Kids Alive

Drowning is the greatest cause of accidental death in children under five in Australia. Each week, on average, one child drowns.

In 1988 to combat drowning, Laurie Lawrence created the Kids Alive - Do the Five water safety program. The Kids Alive program educates the public on five important steps to reduce the risk of preschool drowning.

Kids Alive - Do The Five!

1. Fence the pool
2. Shut the gate
3. Teach your kids to swim - it's great
4. Supervise - watch your mate and
5. Learn how to resuscitate

In 2000, Prime Minister John Howard helped Laurie launch the Kids Alive program nationally. Today the program runs nationally via the Kids Alive website, community service advertising and the Kids Alive Water Safety Show.

The Kids Alive pantomime is the biggest touring free show in Australia. Not only does the show visit metropolitan areas, but to date has visited 545 country towns, 44 remote communities and played to more than 225,000 students Australia wide.

Each year, many families are struck by a tragic drowning or near drowning. The emotional impact of such an accident on a family lasts a lifetime.

Owning a swimming pool is a big responsibility. Pool owners must ensure that their pool is fenced and complies with local government legislation.

Why do children drown in backyard pools?

• Inadequate fencing or no fencing
• Lack of gate security
• Lack of effective water safety skills
• Inadequate supervision
• Lack of resuscitation skills

  Click here to download the National Drowning Statistics
(National Drowning Statistics.pdf  217k)