Northeast Arc and its Swampscott-based CEO are launching a new swim program to reduce childhood drowning risks across the North Shore and Cape Ann.

The Saving Lives program is funded by Northeast Arc’s Changing Lives Fund, which was established in 2017 through a gift from philanthropist Steven Rosenthal.  The program offers free swimming lessons to children six months and older enrolled in Northeast Arc’s early intervention services. 

“When Steve established the Changing Lives Fund, he challenged Northeast Arc to find new and innovative ways to support our families, and I believe the Saving Lives Swim Program does that,” said Jo Ann Simons, who lives in Swampscott and is the president and CEO of Northeast Arc. “By making swimming lessons more accessible, we can ensure that families are able to safely enjoy the water all summer, and year-round.”

The not-for-profit organization helps children and adults with disabilities and autism fully participate in their communities. Early intervention services are available to families with children from birth to age three, offering home and center-based visits, support groups, assessments and service coordination. 

The Northeast Arc in the North Shore is based at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers.  The swimming classes will be offered at the JCC of the North Shore as well as multiple locations of the YMCA of the North Shore and YMCA of Metro North. 

Early Intervention services are offered for free.

“Learning how to swim is a critical part of childhood development, and important to ensure the safety of children around bodies of water,” said Anne Dolan, director of Northeast Arc Early Intervention. “Through swim classes, children can acclimate to the water while building comfort and confidence, while parents can learn about the importance of supervision for drowning prevention.”

Each year in the US, an estimated 4,000 people die from unintentional drownings, about 11 drowning deaths per day, according to the CDC. 

Between 2020 and 2022, more than 4,500 people in the U.S. died from drowning each of those years, according to a report from the CDC. In 2019, there were just over 4,000 drowning deaths. 

In 2022, 461 children ages 1 to 4 drowned, a 28% increase from 2019. More children aged 1 to 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. 

The risk is especially high for children with autism. A 2017 study by Columbia University found that children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than their neurotypical peers. 

For children ages 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death. 

The CDC suggests building fences that fully enclose pools, having children wear life jackets and supervising children closely and constantly when they are in or near water, including bathtubs.

“I wanted to do something different, innovative, even disruptive — in a positive sense,” Rosenthal said of his donation to Northeast Arc. “The idea was to find a way to literally change lives one at a time.”

Story updated June 23, 2025 at 12 p.m. with information from an updated press release