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A birthday party around the pool at a friend’s apartment complex should be a safe and fun time for a child. So should a day at the lake or exploring the woods by a nearby creek.

But for kids who do not know how to swim, being near any body of water can be deadly.

The good news is that overall, drowning deaths have decreased steadily in recent decades. But some children are still particularly at risk.

Children on the autism spectrum are more likely to drown. This past summer, two young autistic Somali children drowned after wandering away from their homes in the Twin Cities.  

And nationally, Black and Indigenous children, teens and young adults are 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the importance of water safety skills, basic swim lessons and other prevention efforts so that all children can be safer near water and enjoy it.

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Children of color and children on the autism spectrum are less likely to know how to swim than their peers. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about efforts to bring water safety and swim lessons to communities most at risk.

Water safety for the kids who need it most

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