Program Information
First5 and SoCal Water Babies Low-Income Scholarship Program
SoCal Water Babies and Infant Swimming Instructors, LLC, in collaboration with First5 Riverside, are excited to offer a No-Cost Swim Lessons Scholarship to provide Survival Swim Lessons to 300 low-income students living in Riverside County residents. The First5 Riverside/ SoCal Water Babies grant funds between 3 and 4 consecutive weeks of survival float lessons for children under 3 years, and 3 – 4 weeks of Swim Float Swim lessons for children 4 - 5 years at no cost. These grant subsidized swim-float-swim and survival float lessons are available at 4 locations in Riverside County: Orangecrest, French Valley, Cathedral City and Norco. Each location has limited availability and scholarship approval is required prior to scheduling your lessons.
GRANT FUNDING IS LIMITED
Please follow us on Facebook or Instagram for any funding updates.
Minimum Qualifications:
1. The student must be 5-years old or younger
2. Students must live in Riverside County – Verification Required
3. Students must meet low-income guidelines – Verification Required
4. Students must submit an intake form prior to beginning lessons
Students will be scheduled on a first come / first serve basis. Once funding has been exhausted, we will take an interest list for next year.
FAQ's
Will it REALLY only take 3 - 4 weeks for my child to learn to survive if they fall in the pool ?
YES, absolutely. We have 2 programs: Swim-Float-Swim and Survival Float (see videos above). All children under the age of 5 will be able to learn the Survival Float within the 3 -4 week time frame. Survival Floating is the ability to rollback and float, rest and breathe if your child were ever to find themselves alone in the water. This skill is designed to SAVE THEIR LIFE. This skill is taught to all students 5 and younger. Additionally, if your child is 4 or 5 years old we can take them much further in that same 3 - 4 week time frame that is subsidized by the grant. Children of this age will learn the swim-float-swim sequence. Your child will be taught to swim face down with eyes open and, when they need to breathe, they roll on their back to float and rest and breathe. They can now flip back over onto their tummy to continue swimming until he or she reaches a point of safety.
Can my younger child learn the Swim-Float-Swim and get grant assistance?
Children as young as 15 months can learn the Swim-Float-Swim so they can get across the pool for fun and for safety! If you would like to go beyond Survival Floating lessons for your child who is over 15 months and under 4 years old we can teach this skill to your child, however, this skill set takes approximately 6 weeks for children of this age to learn. If you would like your child to learn the swim-float-swim at this younger age, you must complete the grant funded portion of your lessons first and then you can enroll in the swim-float-swim program, however, the cost for these additional lessons will be out of pocket. First 5 will subsidize the float syllabus for this age group and any additional classes you would like to take, including diving, stroking etc., must be paid out of pocket. The amount of additional weeks it may take for your child to complete the Swim-Float-Swim will be based on age and developmental abilities.
As an example; most 4 year olds will be able to complete the Swim-Float-Swim within 3-4 weeks and the cost is subsidized by the grant. If your child is 2, the Swim-Float-Swim generally takes about 6 weeks (not 3-4 weeks) so you would need to pay for those additional of lessons. This additional cost is ONLY IF you want to go beyond the survival float at this younger age. This additional skill is an option and NOT a requirement of grant recipients.
What if I do not qualify for this grant?
Please reach out to First5 Riverside to see if there are any other programs that you might qualify for. Additionally, we will be offering non-certificate infant and toddler CPR courses as well as emergency recognition education classes on our YouTube channel to reduce the instance of fatal drowning
Application
Verification of income and county of residence
Grant funding is for low-income families who live in Riverside County. You will be asked to submit income documentation via IRS form 1040 (pages 1 & 2) or proof of public assistance. Please have this information ready as your application will not be reviewed until the proper paperwork is submitted and your application is complete. We review applications and supporting documentation every Friday.
Scheduling
Once you have been approved for the swim scholarship, you will be asked to take the water safety quiz and fill out your intake form. Once this has been completed, your assigned swim school will reach out to you for scheduling. Depending on your desired location, scheduling can be one to six weeks out.
Lesson description
Lessons are scheduled Monday - Thursday (Monday - Friday for Coachella Valley) and are 10-minutes a day. You are required to attend all lessons for 3 - 4 consecutive weeks. Upon graduation from this program, your child will be able to fall in from the side of the pool, roll onto their back, and float, unassisted. If your child is 4 or older, your child will also be able to roll back onto their belly to swim to the side for safety. Although there is no substitute for supervision, these skills are designed to prevent drowning and help your child know what to do if they ever find themselves alone in the water,
CPR Lessons
During your time in our program, we will offer you and any member of your family, including your older children, parents, grandparents, caregivers, etc., free non-certificate CPR classes. CPR can save lives and is a great skill for anyone to learn at every age.
After lessons
Once your child has graduated, we will ask you to take an exit survey and drowning prevention quiz, as part of your scholarship.
Apply Now
Please be advised that, as of May 27th, 2023, scheduling is between 4-10 weeks out due to demand and funding availability. Once you receive your application approval, you will be asked to reach out to your desired school directly. Lesson availability is typically full by July 1 of each year, however, your approval will be valid until June 30, 2024.