If your child completes their initial ~7 week learning between the ages of 6 mos- 2 years, it is likely they learned the rollback to float skill set and they are skilled to manage an aquatic emergency.

Once they are developmentally ready to progress their skills, they can return for another session to learn Swim Float Swim. This typically takes ~7 weeks as well.

After children master Swim Float Swim, most only need maintenance and refresher lessons to keep their skills intact until they are ready for stroke lessons.

It is important to note that while self-rescue skills are essential, there is no substitute for adult supervision. Parents and caregivers should have a water safety strategy that includes arms reach supervision, barriers (alarms, fences, child locks) and knowledge of CPR in addition to self rescue skills.

Regardless of what age your child is when they learn, it is essential to make a plan with your instructor before their initial session of learning ends if you want to keep your child's skills intact for the future.

Maintenance lessons are suggested for most students at a cadence of 1-3 lessons a week depending on your child’s confidence and skill level. Refresher Lessons - ~3 weeks of daily lessons every 3-6 months are another option but are limited in availability. Maintenance lessons are the primary offering for returning students.

While maintenance/refreshers are fully optional, not making a plan with your instructor or not participating in the instructor-suggested follow up will make it more difficult to get back on the schedule in future sessions due to the high demand for lessons.

Once your child has mastered the swim float swim sequence and shows readiness to progress their skills further, your instructor can help make a recommendation for other local providers who can help with strokes. This usually happens around age 5 and/or when your instructor determines your child's self-rescue skills are not at risk of being lost by moving on!