Kids Don’t Float…and Their Parents Don’t Either: Using a Family-Centered Approach in Alaska’s Kids Don’t Float Program

Abstract

The goal of this experiential report is to outline the adoption of a family-centered Kids Don’t Float approach. We conducted a critical synthesis of information to reflect the expansion of the Kids Don’t Float program into a more family-centered approach. The critical synthesis provided insights into why we should adopt this approach, how it was implemented, and how it influenced drowning incidents compared to the previously used child-centered approach. The adoption of a familycentered approach may contribute to reducing drowning incidents by targeting parents, providing safety information to families, and promoting parental modelling of life jackets. Program evaluators and water safety advocates may use these insights to strengthen injury prevention programs that target drowning incidents.